The Treaty of Waitangi is living social document - debated, overlooked, celebrated. Is it a vision of peaceful co-existence or the cause of disharmony? An irrelevancy or the platform on which all New Zealanders can build a future? Signs of a Nation | Ngā Tohu Kotahitanga is a contemporary commentary on the Treaty of Waitangi and its centrality to the wider New Zealand community.
The exhibition stands in an imposing wedge-shaped space, underneath a high cathedral-like ceiling. But with its comfortable seating and calm ambience, the setting offers a place for quiet contemplation. The Treaty document itself - both as a giant replica and with the words of its two versions set large on the walls - has a strong presence in the exhibition.
Moving into the space, you pass through a thicket of pole clusters. Here many voices can be heard, presenting the different views of New Zealanders on the Treaty, like snapshots in time, with quotes from the time of signing through to current opinions. In a space under the mezzanine, personal stories of people whose lives have been affected by the Treaty bring to life the words in English and Māori on the walls.
Signs of a Nation is also responsive to contemporary events and provides a forum for New Zealanders in which new analyses - creative, intellectual, and social - can occur. Up on the mezzanine, a special section, 'Pōringi', shows the Treaty partnership in action through the Treaty claims process. Panels on both sides of the space discuss grievances over breaches of the Treaty and show the process by which claims against the Crown are made and how they are settled.
The Treaty is fundamental to our vision of this nation. This exhibition invites you to engage with New Zealand’s founding document.