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Ngāti Whatua ō Orakei is looking forward to welcoming New Zealand's Chinese this weekend.
The first Taniwha & Dragon Festival includes a symbolic powhiri to formally acknowledge the Chinese communities in New Zealand, followed by traditional and contemporary Māori and Chinese entertainment and a workshop in making Māori and Chinese kites.
Spokesperson Ngarimu Blair says the hapū has been reaching out to migrants since it established the base for the city through its deal with Governor Hobson in 1840.
He says the relationship between Māori and Chinese goes back almost as far as their relationships with Pakeha.
“They were pushed to the margins of society and because of that Māori and Chinese became mates while others profited off the land. There is a long history of Māori and Chinese relationships, mixed Chinese and Māori whakapapa right throughout the country. It was love in the market gardens,”
Ngarimu Blair says the Taniwha & Dragon Festival is open to all, starting at 9 on Saturday at Orakei Marae.
Copyright © 2013, Uma Broadcasting Ltd
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