Treaty to have its big day out
It’s been lost a handful of times, threatened by fire and nibbled by rats but Te Tiriti o Waitangi now has a secure home at the National Library of New Zealand.
The Treaty of Waitangi, along with the 1835 Declaration of Independence of the United Tribes of New Zealand, and the 1893 Women’s Suffrage Petition, have, for the last six months, been on display in He Tohu, a permanent exhibition in Wellington.
While the exhibition has proved popular in its first few months, lead curator Stefanie Lash expects today to be its busiest day yet.
‘‘Seeing it in person is pretty special and we expect there will be people who make the journey here, specifically to see it on Waitangi Day.’’
During the day, guided experiences will take place on the hour between 10am and 4pm, giving visitors an insight into the stories behind some of the 540 rangatira who signed the Treaty and the thoughts of Kiwis on the meaning and value of it today.
‘‘People find it really special to look at the signatures of their family members or people from their area,’’ Lash said.
For every person who signed, the exhibition offers a biography about them, with more information about signatories frequently coming to light.
‘‘There were some people we knew lots about from the start because they were already quite famous but others we have only found out about in passing, from literature or their family members.
‘‘There’s still so much to find out about the actual documents with people doing research on them all the time,’’ Lash said.
While she said it’s a special feeling to seeing the documents in real life, it’s the exhibition outside the temperature-controlled room that offers a real insight into the Treaty’s importance.
‘‘What we’ve opened up here is just the beginning so the rest of it comes when all of our visitors have their own korero to add to it. That’s where the really fascinating conversations start.’’
❚ Free guided experiences around He Tohu take place on the hour, 10am-4pm. After each tour there will be an opportunity to learn about the life of the Treaty through an illustrated presentation with conservator Vicki-anne Heikell.