Neke atu i te kotahi rau kaitūao i tautoko i te reo karanga o Waitangi ki Waitara, kia whakahaumaru i tēnei kaupapa ki te takutai o Ōtūpāiia.
Ahakoa kāore te nuinga e āhei ana te haere atu ki Waitangi, ko te whakaaro a te kaiwhakahaere a Matapaepae Urwin, o Te Āti Awa, kia whakatū i tētahi rā e ōrite tōnā whakanui ki tā te motu whānui.
“Kua kite hāpori whānui i ngā hua kua puta mai, tē tāea te nuinga te tae atu ki Waitangi, hēoi āno, ko tā mātou whakaaro kia tū he rā āhua ōrite ki Waitangi,” hei tā Matapaepae.
“Ka taea te whānau te hanga poi, te ako kupu, te ako i ngā pūkenga mau rākau, tītī tōrea, ko ngā wheako Māori,” hei tā Matapaepae anō.
Ehara i te mea he hui whakanui noa iho, he wāhi ako, he wāhi whakawhānaungatanga hoki.
Kua whakatū i ētahi papa mahi ahurea Māori, ki a wahi wā ai te hāpori whānui ki te rongo, ki te ako, ki te noho hoki ki waenganui i ngā mōmō o te ao Māori.
Celebrating his birthday at Waitangi ki Waitara this year
Waitangi Day every year is very special for stall holder Bobbi-Jo Manukonga because it’s his birthday and he’s decided to celebrate it in Waitara this year.
“Unfortunately this is my first time here because I usually spend my birthday in Ōkato, so for me not to go there this year, to come here instead, it was all about supporting and tautoko(ing) the kaupapa,” Bobbi-Jo said.
“For it to keep on going, just to get bigger and better and yea more people, more sites, whānau it’s a family fun day,” he said.
