Waitangi Treaty Grounds

The Treaty of Waitangi is a formal agreement by the Europeans (Pakeha) to maintain the cultural integrity of the indigenous Maori people but more importantly, it was an agreement between two peoples to live and work as one nation (albeit a British one). The treaty is equal in weight to that of the US Constitution. My group and I had the wonderful opportunity to visit these very grounds on which the treaty was made. While there, we visited Te Whare Runanga, a Maori meeting house where all the tribes converged to discuss their issues/concerns within the community. The house is inlaid with intricate carvings and weavings, each representing the ancestral background of all the tribes' families. Te Whare Runanga is still so sacred a place that we were expected to removed our shoes before entering.