Due to the tangihanga for the late Kingii Tūheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero VII, the date for a discussion of The Treaty of Waitangi has been postponed in Tauranga until 7pm Wednesday, September 18.

Prominent Bay of Plenty theologian and historian Dr Alistair Reese will lead the discussion at the event and book launch at Holy Trinity in Tauranga.

Prominent historian Claudia Orange says about the book, He Tatau Pounamu:

“There has been much written and discussed on Te Tiriti/the Treaty of Waitangi, but I would recommend readers to read Alistair Reese’s book which expands on his thinking on Te Tiriti as Covenant and his expression of this at Waitangi Dawn Service February 6, 2024”.

Te Tiriti of Waitangi | Treaty of Waitangi, was first signed in the Bay of Islands on February 6 1840. Over the following months a further eight Treaty sheets were signed in various locations around Aotearoa. One of those places was Tauranga. 

Between April 10 and May 23, 1840, 21 signatures for The Treaty of Waitangi were collected in Tauranga. 

He Tatau Pounamu, The Treaty of Waitangi, a Covenant of Reconciliation is a public discussion about Te Tiriti at a time when the agreement by which tangata whenua and tangata tiriti is being called into question, he says.

Because of the events surrounding the tangihanga after Kingi Tūheitia’s sudden death, it has been necessary to postpone the event, said Reese.

“We are at a decisive moment as a nation.”

“How can we renew and deepen our understanding of the Treaty of Waitangi? What does it mean to say that the Treaty is a sacred compact, a covenant? And what has been the role of the Church in relation to the Treaty? What might this require now?”

The event is being held in partnership by Karuwhā Trust and the Venn Foundation.

Karuwhā Trust is a charity that engages people in a conversation about identity and history through journeys to significant sites and stories. The Venn Foundation is a New Zealand Christian organisation encouraging people to think deeply about Christian values to help shape New Zealand.

Dr Reese said he will help the audience to understand how the Treaty is he tatau pounamu — a covenant pathway of reconciliation.

He has already held the discussions in Auckland, Wellington, Dunedin and Christchurch throughout May, with a Hamilton discussion held on Monday, September 16.

“I will consider the history and context of this foundational document, including the role of the Church in its shape and interpretation. We will weigh how best to respond, how best to honour the Treaty now.”

The Tauranga event is at Holy Trinity, Devonport Rd in Tauranga on Wednesday, September 18, from 7pm to 9pm.

There will also be a book launch before the main event. To attend, register here: https://www.venn.org.nz/events-courses/he-tatau-pounamu-tauranga/