In the NZ Herald: Why the Waitangi Treaty Grounds should be a pilgrimage for every student.
I lived in the Bay of Islands for 6 of the last 10 years and I am adament NZers going to the Treaty Grounds is important for NZ’s pathway forward. Especially so given the current Bill ACT has introduced. The opinion piece is behind NZH’s paywall – here are a few key points.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/why-the-waitangi-treaty-grounds-should-be-a-pilgrimage-for-every-student-alwyn-poole/G2JPNYEWGFH3THIR5XHPNDC3EU/
“All of these [Bay of Islands] experiences are wonderful and should be highly sought-after by New Zealanders and overseas tourists.
However, the real driver to bring our young people to the area is the foundational history of our nation as exemplified by the Waitangi Treaty Grounds.
The whole place is awesome – in the true sense of the word. Te Whare Rūnanga, The Treaty House, Te Kōngahu Museum of Waitangi, Te Rau Aroha Museum of the Price of Citizenship, Flagstaff, the Waka. Add to those features the sheer beauty of the site and the wonderful views across the bay and out towards those 144 islands.
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The Treaty Grounds enables deep learning and a fountain of knowledge on the foundations of our nation; from the arrival of Maori, to Abel Tasman clashing in Golden Bay, to Cook’s three visits, to the tribal wars and early clashes between cultures, to the traders that followed and onto the first missionaries and James Busby.
You can learn so much about what happened in the 1830s and 1840s; the flag and Declaration of Independence by the United Tribes, the Treaty of Waitangi and the signatories. You learn detail of many of the clashes and developments that followed. You learn of the names of the people of the time and their deeds for good and bad. You can also find many of their gravesites in the nearby towns which is a great anchor to reality.
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This makes the Treaty Grounds the pivotal geographic place to visit for a complete education. It is a place that rips away misunderstanding and bias while leaving plenty of room for passion and developing views.
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Our nation is still very young on a world history scale. That there is so much learning in one place is remarkable and the more of our population, young, adult and elderly, that experience it – the better we will be as a society.”
Alwyn Poole
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