Ngāi Tahu to host Prime Minister Christopher Luxon on Waitangi Day

Ngāi Tahu will host the Prime Minister in Akaroa on Waitangi Day on Thursday.

Christopher Luxon said in December that he will not be attending this year's commemorations at Waitangi in Northland, preferring to travel around the country to celebrate New Zealand's national day.

"I have always aimed to celebrate Waitangi Day across New Zealand. "This year, I'm at Ōnuku marae near Akaroa," he stated.

"Akaroa is very special to me; it was a spot where I used to run around with my brothers during the long, hot Canterbury summers. My children learned to swim under the Nor'West arch, and I recall thinking how fortunate we were to have grown up in New Zealand.

In addition to Luxon, the Governor-General, Dame Cindy Kiro, will attend in the South Island.

Te Rūnganga o Ngāi Tahu expressed gratitude to Luxon and Dame Cindy for accepting their offer, stating that hundreds of people are anticipated to attend.

They stated that Ōnuku and Takapūneke hold significance for New Zealand.

Te Tiriti o Waitangi was first signed by Ngāi Tahu on May 30, 1840, in Ōnuku. Chairperson Rik Tainui stated that in 1998, the Crown apologized to Ngāi Tahu for violations of Te Tiriti at the exact location.

In 1820, Ngāi Tahu operated Takapūneke, a prosperous commercial trade center of national significance. In 1830, our whānau at Takapūneke were brutally killed by a neighboring tribe assisted by British Captain John Stewart aboard the Brig Elizabeth. British participation in Māori tribal matters began with this event, which paved the way for the signing of Te Tiriti a decade later.

The Ōnuku, Ngāti Irakehu, and Ngāi Tahu whānau will commemorate the day with a hākari (feast), entertainment, market stalls, and activities for children.

All other political party leaders will gather in Waitangi on Wednesday for the annual political talks, which will precede the dawn service the following morning.

Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka will represent the Prime Minister during the pōwhiri.

Luxon's absence from Northland has elicited conflicting reactions, with some iwi and hapu seeing it positively, while others believe the Prime Minister should be in Waitangi on National Day.

Pita Tipene, the chairperson of the Waitangi National Trust, had stated that he would have liked Luxon to attend and "be accountable for the position that he holds as the top executive in our government."

Former prime ministers Sir John Key, Sir Bill English, and Helen Clark have previously declined to visit Waitangi and Te Tii marae due to concerns about speaking rights.

Since 2018, political negotiations have been place at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, which are regarded as a more neutral environment, rather than the contentious Te Tii Marae.

The iwi chairs forum will be in Waitangi on Monday and Tuesday; government ministers and the Prime Minister have usually attended it.

Luxon met with some of the iwi leaders in Wellington late last year and told them his plans not to be there in February.