Sunday Panel: Are we adjusting our attitudes towards Waitangi Day?

A Covid-influenced Waitangi Day dawn ceremony may have started a new tradition on New Zealand's national day.The ceremony, which started at 5am yesterday and was attended by hundreds of people, was done completely outside - a significant shift from previous years when a portion of the ceremony was done inside Te Whare Rūnanga marae.The change was largely made thanks to Covid-19, as organisers were advised against gatherings in small, confined areas.However, many of the ceremony's integral figures saw the change as a positive one."Having an open air ceremony was important to us," Waitangi National Trust chairman Pita Tipene said."Everybody feels a little bit more into it."Tipene described the feeling among tangata whenua and Government officials as "upbeat" and recognised how lucky we were to have created a sanctuary where Covid hadn't overtaken us."Looking out at everyone is really special, singing together, the hymns and the waiata, is really unifying."Tipene said he would advocate for future ceremonies to be held outside - as long as the weather was suitable.Listen above as Irene King and Simon Wilson join Francesca Rudkin to discuss Waitangi Day and the rest of the week's newsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.