Waitangi day

The war canoe.

Chief Tamati Waaka Nene, one of the maori chiefs who signed the treaty.

A carving inside the treaty house.

The entrance to the treaty house.

A treaty was signed between the British settlers and the Maori chiefs on 6th February 1840. It was signed at Waitangi in the bay of islands and made New Zealand a British dependency giving the Maoris rights as British subjects. It is a public holiday and there are celebrations at Waitangi. The giant war canoe which brought the Maori chiefs to the signing of the treaty in 1840 is launched and paddled in front of Maori leaders. This canoe holds 100 warriors and is followed by many smaller canoes. There is a 21 gun salute from a New Zealand navy warship and it is an important day for New Zealand.