This recorded radio broadcast includes commentary, speeches and debates, in English and te reo Māori with English translation, of the re-enactment of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi on the 6th of February 1940. The re-enactment marked the centennial of the original Treaty signing in 1840.
Part 1. [poor audio quality due to the broadcast being relayed by telephone line from Waitangi to 1YA Auckland]
Radio commentator Clive Drummond introduces the broadcast with a re-cap of what took place at Waitangi leading up to this day in 1840. He describes numerous Māori canoes approaching the beach at Waitangi as he speaks. [Actors representing] Captain Nias and Captain Hobson are climbing up to the Treaty House via Nias Track. Lord and Lady Galway and other dignitaries are landing at Waitangi wharf and will be welcomed by Mr Fraser, the acting Prime Minister. He describes the participants in period Victorian and Māori costume and the arrangements for the re-enactment of the Treaty signing.
Part 2. Clive Drummond continues his description of the various participants gathering for the re-enactment of the Treaty signing: Māori chiefs in dogskin cloaks, Europeans in period costumes. He describes the Treaty grounds setting surrounded by trees. A Guard of Honour is being provided by the Māori Battalion, commanded by Major Dittmer. Captain Hobson, Mr Busby and other leading characters such as Henry Williams and Bishop Pompallier are all present. He lists the names of the individuals who are playing the historic roles today.
Part 3: [poor audio quality - telephone line interference]
Clive Drummond continues listing the names of the 'actors' who are taking the roles of key characters involved in the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, including the most prominent of the many Māori chiefs who signed 100 years ago. [Unfortunately many names are hard to hear due to interference on the recording.]
He describes work which has been done to restore Busby's Treaty House. A large marquee made out of ship's sails has been erected on the lawn, just as it was in 1840. Groups of Māori from different hapū are discussing on the lawn. There are about 6-7 thousand people present and a large number of them are Māori. Acting Prime Minster Peter Fraser and Sir Apirana Ngata are now being escorted onto the Treaty grounds.
Part 4. Clive Drummond explains that part of today's re-enactment actually took place 100 years ago on the 5th of February, but will be re-enacted today, with a pause to represent the passing of time between the two days. The 500 Māori Battalion troops arrived yesterday, and were marched up the Nias Track to their camp, lead by a band from Ratana.
The official ceremony begins, with a speech by "William Hobson", urging Māori chiefs to consider Her Majesty the Queen's Treaty, which he then reads in English. [Audio quality improves from this point.]
Part 5. An actor playing the role of William Hobson, continues reading the Treaty in English. An actor playing missionary Henry Williams then reads the Treaty in te reo Māori. An actor playing James Busby then speaks to the chiefs in te reo Māori.
Part 6. James Busby then explains in English what he has just said to the Māori chiefs, regarding their land ownership being upheld.
[The actors seem to be following a script based on William Colenso's published account of the signing of the Treaty, and what was said at the time.]
The next speaker is a man playing the role of Te Kēmara, chief of Ngāti Kawa hapū, who speaks in te reo Māori, telling the Governor he opposes the Treaty and will never agree to the English remaining in this land, unless they were equals. [His speech is translated into English.] He says Busby and Williams now have all his land and he wants it returned.
A speaker playing the role of Rewa of Ngāi Tawake hapū then speaks in te reo Māori, telling the governor to return to his own land. He says his land has been taken by Davis, Clark and others.
Part 7. Rewa's speech continues in te reo Māori, with English translation, He urges Māori not to sign the Treaty. A man in the role of Moka, chief of Te Patukeha speaks next, also urging the Governor to return to his own country. He asks where Clendon and Mair are, saying they have gone to buy more land, despite the Governor's proclamation. Hobson then speaks again saying land unjustly held will be returned. Moka continues his speech and urges Baker to return his land. A man then says Henry Williams translations of what is being said in Māori are incorrect. Henry Williams then speaks defending the role of the missionaries and says their land claims will be examined as closely as any others. Busby then denies the term 'robbed' was used by chiefs Te Kemara and Rewa, and says he was pressed to buy land by Māori.
Part 8. An unnamed Māori speaker [probably Pukututu according to Colenso's account] says he wishes the Governor to stay, but he is disagreed with by the next speakers, Kawiti and Wai who argues the pakeha cheat Māori when buying pigs and potatoes from them. Serveral European speakers then argue about William's translation. A Mr Johnson adds to the translation.
Another Māori speaker [Pumuka?] also urges Busby and the Governor to stay as a father figure.
Part 9. A chief [Hākiro?] speaks, urging the Governor to leave but saying Busby and the missionaries should remain as father figures. The next speaker [a chief of Ngāpuhi - probably Tareha?] also speaks at length against the governor remaining.
Part 10. A Māori speaker begins in English and then continues in te reo, in favour of the Governor remaining. [probably Rawiri, chief of Ngati Tautahi]
The next speaker [probably Hoani Heke] also urges the Governor to remain and says if he leaves Māori will be at the mercy of the French and the rum-sellers. He also refers to the missionaries and governor as father figures. [Loud debate in Māori by multiple speakers at this point.]
Tamati Waka Nene is introduced as the next speaker. He addresses the chiefs first, speaking about how the northern lands have been taken over by foreigners. He says they should have spoken out when the traders and rum-sellers first arrived but now it is too late and the Governor should stay.
Part 11. The re-enactment of Tamati Waka Nene's speech continues, with translation into English. He says the pakeha should remain and he will sign the Treaty but calls on the Governor to not allow land to be taken from the people. The next speaker [probably Patuone, brother of Waka Nene] also urges the Governor to remain so that the people will not become prey of the French or 'Pikopo.' The next speaker, Te Kemara calls for his land to be returned and says if this happened and authority was to be shared then he would call for the Governor to remain, but if Te Kemara is to be in a low position then he will never agree.
The Governor then adjourns the gathering and urges the crowd to study the Treaty - his words are translated into te reo Māori.
Part 12. A speaker explains the speeches of the Māori chiefs were made on the 5th of February 1840 and they will now re-enact what took place on the 6th, when the parties reconvened. Henry Williams reads the Treaty in te reo Māori again.
Part 13. Williams finishes reading the Treaty. Governor Hobson asks Mr Williams to explain in Māori that all religious faiths and customs will be protected by him. He does so and then is asked to invite the chiefs to come forward and sign the Treaty. William Colenso then speaks and asks Hobson whether he feels the chiefs understand the articles of the Treaty? He says some chiefs he spoke to did not understand its contents. Busby also comments.
Hone Heke and other chiefs including Kawiti come forward to sign and Hobson says "He iwi tahi tātou" (We are now one people.) [Some further discussion in Māori takes place but is too far from the microphone for the broadcast to pick it up clearly.]
Part 14. Further chiefs sign the Treaty, with Hobson greeting each with the words "He iwi tahi tātou." He asks Williams to ask Pumuka to accept a token from Her Majesty, which he does in te reo Māori. [Further debate in te reo can be heard in the background.] Three cheers are given to end the re-enactment of the Treaty signing ceremony.
Commentator Clive Drummond explains the meaning of "He iwi tahi tātou." the next section of the broadcast will takeplace in front of the whare runanga meeting house. He explains the gift of the Waitangi National Trust Estate, about 1,000 acres, given to the nation by Lord and Lady Bledisloe. The Busby House was built in 1833.
Part 15. Clive Drummond continue his description of the Waitangi National Trust Estate and the planting of native trees there in the past two years to improve the scenic back-drop to the Treaty Grounds. The Whare Runanga is to be opened by the Governor-General this morning. The paddlers from the waka taua this morning are now lined up in front of the whare. They are being joined by the Guard of Honour of the Māori Battalion and the participants who took part in the re-enactment ceremony. He revises his earlier figure and says he now believes there are closer to 10,000 Māori people at Waitangi for the centennial ceremonies.
The official party is lead by Mr Mulligan, the secretary-general, and Mr Waka [?], who have been on site for some weeks organising the re-enactment and rehearsing with the actors. He explains some of the arrangments for catering to the huge crowds, with hangi being used to feed the visitors.
Part 16. Clive Drummond talks about the logistics of the broadcast from Waitangi. He says the relay has involved broadcasting technician James Goldsby from Auckland and Norman Johnston, an engineer from Wellington, who have been kept very busy as there are four broadcast points; the re-enactment and the opening of the whare runanga, and there will also be an unveiling of a memorial to Mr Busby and tablets in the Treaty House itself later today. He says they are waiting to get reception reports from around the country as to how the broadcast is being received. He says the telegraph printing machine may have caused some interference as some urgent messages could not be stopped from coming through.
He describes the view from the Treaty Grounds and the Russell area, including the popularity of deep-sea fishing.
He signs off as microphones are switched to the marae to hear the opening remarks of Sir Apirana Ngata.
[The broadcast continues see ID 36195.]