Why do we celebrate Waitangi Day?
We celebrate Waitangi day because that is the day the British and Maori made peace with the Treaty. The British wanted to use the Maori land but they couldn't just go and use the land. At that time the Maori had no laws so there was no police so someone could steal and get away with it. So the British people decided to make their peoples laws the Maori peoples laws. So they sent William Hobson to pass the message to the Maori people. The Maori people agreed and the Treaty was made. It was signed on 6th February 1840. Williams Hobson was the first to sign for the British side and the Maori chief Hone Heke was the first to sign for the Maori side. When Hone Heke signed the Treaty he said “He iwi tahi tatou” which meant ‘We are now one people’. The Treaty was made into several copies with a different language for each one. The Treaty house was the house of James Busby. When the British left Hone Heke cut down the flagpole to remember that the british was once there.
By 1974 it became a public holiday. Nowadays people remember the Treaty by celebrating it on Waitangi day. Some people go to Waitangi to celebrate. They have great feasts and lots of activities.
I like Waitangi day because it reminds people about how the Treaty was made and is a great public holiday.
