Weekend-------Part 3

This weekend was a New Zealand holiday, commemorating the signing of the Waitangi Treaty in 1840 between the British and the Maori.  The Maori people pack the town of Paihia and celebrate with waka (canoe) races and a variety of songs and dances, including the haka (war dance). 

Will and I enjoyed this celebration as it was not a paid performance, but a time for the Maori locals to preserve their culture with numerous activities.  In the third picture, find the young man with his head raised and tongue stuck out.  We had been told that this was a part of the haka.  Note the young girl with the bulging eyes in the fourth picture.  This is a typical action by the dancing women.  The pictures show the different kinds of canoes--------single, double, and very large.  We were told that the largest canoe can hold up to 120 men.

We met the Maori man talking with Will and spent at least a half hour learning about their history and current situation in NZ.  He told us that the Maori did not understand the terms of the treaty as many of the words were unfamiliar to them.  The land had been unfairly taken from them.  Sounds like the plight of the American Indian-----  This man's son is one of the boys in the picture with me.  He had been taught the haka and other dances when he was only 5 years old.