# Happy Waitangi weekend to the NZ Dopers

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-waitangi-weekend-to-the-nz-dopers/288326>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [February 4, 2005, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-waitangi-weekend-to-the-nz-dopers/288326 "2005-02-04T05:04:49Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-waitangi-weekend-to-the-nz-dopers/288326/1 "2005-02-04T05:04:49Z")

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Waitangi Day (6 February) always seemed to be mired in controversy when I lived in New Zealand. Has anything changed? Are lots of protestors still expected at the treaty ground?

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**Author:** ![Scribble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scribble/32/3317_2.png) [@Scribble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scribble)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-waitangi-weekend-to-the-nz-dopers/288326/2 "2005-02-04T05:12:48Z")

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For those of us who are totally clueless–what’s Waitangi Day?

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**Author:** ![2\_click\_twiddle\_flare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/82dd89/32.png) [@2\_click\_twiddle\_flare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2_click_twiddle_flare)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-waitangi-weekend-to-the-nz-dopers/288326/3 "2005-02-04T05:30:39Z")

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Waitangi day is supposed to celebrate the signing of the treaty of waitangi, which gave the commonwealth control of NZ, in exchange for blankets, guns, other assorted goodies the native people of NZ did not have. It is always steeped in controversey as most of the moari people of NZ feel they were ripped off. The usual array of spitting, flag burning, war chanting, and general riotous behaviour can be expected this year.

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**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-waitangi-weekend-to-the-nz-dopers/288326/4 "2005-02-04T05:32:40Z")

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[Waitangi Day](http://nzhistory.net.nz/Gallery/treaty/) commemorates the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, on 6 February 1840, between the British Crown and the Maori chiefs of New Zealand.

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**Author:** ![Primaflora](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/898d66/32.png) [@Primaflora](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Primaflora)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-waitangi-weekend-to-the-nz-dopers/288326/5 "2005-02-04T05:43:57Z")

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[http://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?c\_id=350](http://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?c_id=350)

looks like the usual fun and games will ensue .