Te Rā O Waitangi – Free Waitangi Day Activities At The National Library

A range of exciting activities have been planned for the public to commemorate Te Rā o Waitangi – Waitangi Day on February 6th to celebrate the signing of New Zealand’s founding document in 1840.

This year the National Library will be celebrating New Zealand’s national day in Wellington from 9am to 4pm, with activities including waiata workshops, a games session, and a special Waitangi film compilation; ’Tāngata Whenua, Tāngata Tiriti: Kotahitanga’ compiled by Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision.

Visitors will also be able to view He Tohu, a joint exhibition by Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga Archives New Zealand and Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa National Library, that features the nine original sheets of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, created and signed 185 years ago.

The document room, He Whakapapa Kōrero, also houses He Whakaputanga – the 1835 Declaration of Independence and the 1893 Women’s Suffrage Petition.

"Seeing the original Treaty sheets up close is very special and there’s no better time than on Waitangi Day. There will be free guided tours, workshops and fun activities for all ages” says National Library’s Director of Public Engagement, Alison McIntyre.

Entry is free to the National Library and all tours and workshops.

Guided tour times:

Te reo Pākehā (English) tours:

• 30 minute He Tohu tours: 9:30am, 10:30am, 11:00am, 11:30am, 12:30pm, 1:00pm, 1:30pm, 2:30pm, 3:00pm, 3:30pm.
• 15 minute Te Wehenga kōrero: 10:30am, 1:00pm.

Te reorua (bilingual te reo Māori and English) tours:

• 30 minute He Tohu tour and Te Wehenga kōrero: 10:00am, 2:00pm

Te reo rūmaki (te reo Māori) tours:

• 30 minute He Tohu and Te Wehenga kōrero: 12:00pm.

Workshops:

• Whakahua reo Māori me ngā waiata – Pronounciation and waiata workshop: 11:00am to 11:40am.
• Ngā Kemu! Games Session: 1:00pm to 1:30pm
• Representing Te Tiriti: 1:30pm to 2:10pm
• Te Tiriti timeline and quiz: 2:30pm to 3:00pm.

Connect with taonga from the collection:

• Join kaimahi to explore a selection of items from the Library’s extensive collections showing how Te Tiriti is represented in the documentary heritage of Aotearoa: 10:00am, 12:00pm, 2:00pm.

Throughout the day, historical film footage compiled by Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision, showing Waitangi commemorations, will be screening on loop.

Te Āmiki, the National Library shop, and HOME Café will also be open on Waitangi Day.

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