Official commemorations for the 250th anniversary
of Captain Cook's first landing in NZ start tomorrow in Gisborne.
And appropriately
the commemorations' programme will be launched
with a stunning display of Maori and Polynesian sea craft.
For more let's cross live to Gisborne
where reporter Irena Smith is standing by live, Irena.
Tuia will start tomorrow here in Gisborne,
the first city in the world to see the sun.
Of course, Maori and Pasifika waka will be leading the event.
They will start arriving at the wharf in Gisborne from around 9 am.
The Maori part of the fleet includes Haunui,
Nga Hiraka as well as the boat behind me,
Te Waka o Te Tairawhiti.
But to make this occasion even more special
a va'a tipaerua called Fa'afaite has come from Tahiti.
They're here and they've been sailing around the area
from Whangaparaoa to Anaura two nights ago.
Tomorrow they make landfall here.
The people of the East Coast are well-known for their prowess in haka
and so tomorrow all of the flotilla will receive a big haka powhiri
to welcome them formally as the first part
of the formal programme itself.
Organisers say they have spent a long time organising the event
to ensure it goes off without a hitch.
They hope everything runs smoothly for everyone's benefit.
Excited.
The entire community is excited.
There's still a lot to be done but we, the community, are really happy.
Irena due to the violence and deaths of Maori
during those first encounters,
the commemorations has been a delicate and controversial topic -
what are the opponents of this event saying?
Well, there are a lot of locals who are opposed
to the commemoration of the arrival of Captain Cook
to these shores.
They say they are still grieving
from the wrongs committed by Cook and his crew
such as the killing of an ancestor and also attempting to take land.
Tina Ngata, of Kia Mau,
a group that's been travelling around
and discussing the history and related issues
with other organisations and impacted families
to ensure that an accurate version of events is told.
Ngata says getting that story told
is the most important thing for her and her group.
The most important thing is that what is told is accurate.
What happened?
What did the Crown do? And Cook and his crew?
So it's really important that this truth is shared at this event
that commemorates the anniversary of his arrival here.
Next Tuesday, October 8,
is the actual anniversary of Cook's landing.
Do you think protesters will come out in force then?
Yes, they will and they've already made preparations for the day.
At dawn on Tuesday,
some prayer services will be held.
The services will be held
in dedication of the ancestors killed when Captain Cook
first arrived.
At 9 am a protest march
will be held to give voice to everyone who objects to the events.
For the protesters,
a lot of issues have been oppressed
the locals here as well
as Maori in general around the country
since Europeans first came to this country.
So those are some of the issues they will be raising.
Tuesday is when the replica Endeavour will arrive.
That's the day when both Maori and non-Maori ships involved
in the event will come together for the first time ever
on the harbour in Gisborne.
So it's a big event coming up for the region in the next few days.
Thank you for the update, Irena Smith.