5 February, 2026
What it means to them Tomorrow, February 6, Katikati’s second annual Te Rā o Waitangi Whānau Festival (Waitangi Day Family Festival) will take place at the Haiku Park Reserve from 11am-3pm. The free, family-friendly event is open
to everyone – to commemorate the signing of Treaty of Waitangi (Te Tiriti o Waitangi) in 1840 and New Zealand’s national day, but also to celebrate Aotearoa and acknowledge the country’s past in a positive, inclusive way.
Katikati News has asked three local teens – Manase Uilou, 17, Tia-Maraea Brown, 18, and Inyamoka Toker, 18, who will perform at the event – what Waitangi Day means to them as individuals and why they support the event.
Flip to page 3 to read about their thoughts and feelings of Waitangi Day and why think they it’s so important for all New Zealanders to be involved in. Plus, more details on the Te Rā o Waitangi Whānau Festival. Photo / Merle Cave
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