Otaki TodayHundreds of locals and people from throughout the Kāpiti district and beyond came to Ōtaki for Waitangi Day.
This year’s theme was Ngā Taonga Tukuiho (ancestral treasures), acknowledging Ngāti Raukawa and hapū, their history and their historical involvement with te Tiriti o Waitangi. The event was at Taumanuka (the old Children’s Health Camp).
Waerea Winitana attracted plenty of interest with her carving of a kauri block in the tent where carvers of Te Wānanga o Raukawa demonstrated their craft. Her work will be part of the entranceway to Taumanuka, the old Children’s Health Camp, where Waitangi Day was commemorated in Ōtaki.
Photo Ōtaki Today
Of special interest for many visitors was a display in one of the old health camp buildings outlining the historical significance of Taumanuka and the importance of the land in relation to te Tiriti.
Under scorching summer skies, tamariki cooled down on a slippery slide kept wet by hoses spraying from an Ōtaki Volunteer Fire Brigade engine. Others played traditional Māori games, including pataka, a game using spinning tops made from rocks, wood or gourds. Some had a go at walking on stilts.
Peter Noanoa, who brought some of the games with him from Wellington, said it was great to see the tamariki try things that might be different. He especially enjoyed watching as they tried to work out how to play, without the use of technology.
“Sticks and stones get us off the phones,” he said.
Noting that some older people were also enjoying having a go, he said: “We get old because we stop playing.”
The day was organised by Ngā Hapū o Ōtaki and supported by Kāpiti Coast District Council.
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