Waitangi Day Origins celebrated

GERALD FORD | 7th February 2007

A RELAXED crowd at Masterton's Queen Elizabeth Park yesterday cele- brated Wairarapa's first-ever Waitangi Day Origins Festival.

Gathered in the large grass oval between Kids Own Playground and the skatepark, a few hundred people witnessed performances from cultures around the globe, in a display of goodwill and a desire to learn from new experiences.

Organising spokesman Owen Perry, enjoying the event, said it had turned out "awesome".

"It's a good mix of everything, people having a good time, and learning about each other."

Rain that had looked imminent in the morning held off, in contrast to events at Waitangi itself, and the festival was held under overcast skies with bursts of hot sunshine.

Mike Kawana, of kapa haka group Taikura, opened proceedings with a karakia and a welcome, before Taikura sang and danced to a selection of Maori songs, including one about Wairarapa.

Events took a Scottish turn next, with a lone piper rendition of The Bells of Dunblane, from pipemaster John Frater.

The haunting tune had been composed by Robert Matheson, pipe major of Shotts and Dykehead, to remember the victims of the Dunblane massacre, in which a gunman killed 16 young schoolchildren and their teacher.

Two highland dancers wowed the crowd with a duet before the younger of them, Shaene Sutherland, 8, took on the sword dance.

Amberly Sutherland also performed solo, and the Fern and Thistle Pipe Band then performed and explained the tradition of "piping the haggis", complete with poem by Scottish poet Robbie Burns.

Small servings of haggis were handed out from the Scottish stand.

Wairarapa storyteller Anthony Aporo told a tale about the mythical hero Kupe and his battle with the octopus, which featured a cave in Castlepoint and the South Wairarapa rock feature, Kupe's Sail.

As the afternoon wore on, MCs Joe Mutu and Mereana Matete kept the crowd entertained, with the help of DJ Main-1 spinning a selection of music.

Welsh singer "Jack" performed a couple of original songs and some crowd favourites from Bob Marley and Crowded House.

Cultural dances proved popular with some of the teenagers at the event, with one group of girls standing near the stage picking up the moves as the different groups performed.

The middle-eastern belly dance group led by teacher Joy Evans, of Carterton, showed some sparkle in their costumes and their moves as they danced through some sensual routines.

Two groups from the Geraldine Inder School of Dance danced a classical ballet piece, followed by a more modern performance, and Indian group Nitra Kala danced to a blend of traditional music and rock 'n' roll.

Other groups were Whero, Coutts St Crew, and Makoura College band SKUX, followed by some rappers and "krumpers", who perform a new style of street dance.

Stallholders represented Maori tribes Rangitane and Ngati Kahungunu ki Wairarapa, along with other groups including the Indian, South African, Scottish and Welsh communities.

Information was provided on Wairarapa history as well as the Treaty of Waitangi, including a brief quiz, in which Masterton librarian Frances Reiri-Smith revealed the treaty never made it to Wairarapa, although at least one Maori chief may have travelled to Hawke's Bay or Wellington to sign.

A treaty calling for Wairarapa to be "a peaceful, tolerant and inclusive community" was made available for people to sign.

Mr Perry said the event was "a celebration of cultures", bringing people who "until now may not really have been integrated fully into the Wairarapa community".

It was also designed "to create a better understanding and appreciation of the Treaty of Waitangi, and some of the issues still needing to be addressed".

Mr Mutu said the treaty had started New Zealand as a country and made the day's celebration of different cultures possible.