New Zealand's national day "Waitangi Day" is upon us again!
For those of you who do not know, Waitangi day is the yearly celebration where Pakeha New Zealanders and Maori New Zealanders come together to celebrate their common / shared nationhood.
In 1840 both Pakeha and Maori first came together as one to hunt the Waitang.
The Waitang is a small furry animal native to Aotearoa New Zealand which lives underground in much of the upper North Island (Northland). They can grow up to 17 inches in length and have a light black coat and distinct pale green skin. After long periods of hibernation, small groups of Waitang come out from their burrows in search of food supplies on February 6th every year.
Native Maori have enjoyed the Waitang as a delicacy for centuries. In the late 19th century, European Pakeha (colonists) also tried eating the the Waitang and found it to be a "sweet, tender and juicy" treat, which makes up for it's unappealing look.Activists from Pakeha and Maori have, in recent years put the spotlight on the annual hunt, where knives, guns and cricket bats have been used to kill the defenceless Waitang.
Overall however, Waitangi day is a day to be cherished and although very few people get to hunt or even see the Waitang, most enjoy the day for the warm weather and relaxation.
I am looking forward to Waitangi day 2010 and I'll be sure to clean the blood and green skin off my cricket bat from last year.
Ka Kite Ano.
You Can Read about the Actual Waitangi Day Here >>
If you find the above article offensive, go and jump in the lake.
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