Our Nation's Children

Rau rangatira mā, e kui mā, e koro mā, e tamariki mā, e huihui nei, tēnei aku mihi māhana ki a koutou.  Kia ora tātou katoa.  Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen and children, warm greetings to you all.

I specifically acknowledge: Chairman of Waitangi National Trust Board Mr Pita Paraone and your fellow trustees; Senior Westpac Executive, Simon Power; CEO of the Waitangi National Trust, Greg McManus and Film Director Andrew Adamson - tēnā koutou katoa

It is a great pleasure for me to be here today, to take part in the launch of Our Nations Children.

During my time as Governor-General I have taken a special interest in what’s being done by and for the young people of our country.  Our children are our future.  Initiatives like this one, which makes use of our young people’s skills and imagination, as well as crystallising their ideas about what it means to be a New Zealander, will pay dividends in years to come.

Waitangi is more than just a name on a map.  The life of our nation has been shaped by the events that occurred there 173 years ago.  It is a land mark, a birthplace, a moment in time and an idea.  It has been a place of controversy.  It is a place of celebration and hope.

Waitangi, and the Treaty grounds especially, is thick with history and meaning.  At every turn, one is aware of the treasures and the memories that rest there, and the legacy of those who have cared for them.  The signing of the Treaty of Waitangi marked the birth of New Zealand as a modern nation and the place where it happened is one of our most spiritual places. By assisting school children from throughout New Zealand to visit the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, “Our Nation’s Children” gives the next generations a better understanding of Waitangi’s important past, its meaning for today and its place for our future. As the Māori proverb has it - Ngā hiahia kia titiro ki te tīmata, a, ka ki te ai tātou te mutunga - You must understand the beginning if you wish to see the end.

The Waitangi National Trust Board’s aspiration to ensure that all New Zealand children will visit Waitangi during their school years, is as CEO Greg McManus said , an ambitious one.  It is however, achievable.  Many worthwhile things are achieved by people with drive and determination.  The Trust’s partnership with Westpac is a great example of realising drive and determination to push through boundaries.  It’s also a great example of the community working hand in hand with the corporate sector for the greater benefit of all.

This initiative will enable more of our children to have access to Waitangi and to experience the richness of its history.  It is one thing to learn about what happened from books and lessons but to walk where Captain William Hobson, our first Governor, walked, and stand where the Great Chiefs like Hone Heke stood, brings history alive in a more vibrant and compelling way.

I’m sure the students of Point England School, who are here with us today, now have a better understanding of Waitangi and the Treaty after their time there.  You have been excellent ambassadors for your school and your video is a neat way to promote Our Nations Children throughout New Zealand.  You are now all ambassadors for Waitangi.  Let me say that I am impressed by the quality of your work and the thought and effort that has so obviously gone into it.
 
The competition asks us all to think about what the Treaty of Waitangi means to us. When I think about the events of 1840, the message I take away is one of hope. Both Māori and Pākehā had reasons for signing and committing to a relationship together. By doing so, they both signalled that they were hoping for a better future.

In 2015 we celebrate 175 years since the Treaty of Waitangi was signed.  As we approach that anniversary, that hope is still alive. Waitangi was the beginning of our nationhood and gives us all, Māori, Pākehā and new New Zealanders a starting point for defining ‘This is what it is to be a New Zealander”.

Kia ora huihui tātou katoa