WELLINGTON, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand holds various events nationwide to mark the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, the country's founding document, on Feb. 6, 1840.
Events are being held across the country on marae, Maori people's meeting venues, lakefronts, in community centers, local museums and town squares to commemorate Waitangi Day 2019, Prime Minister and Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Jacinda Ardern said on Thursday.
The Treaty of Waitangi takes its name from the place in the Bay of Islands where it was first signed in 1840 by representatives of the British Crown and Maori chiefs, which allowed then British government to gain the sole right to purchase land in New Zealand.
The Commemorating Waitangi Day Fund has distributed 288,000 NZ dollars (198,831 U.S. dollars) to support 46 events across the country and encouraged the participation of all New Zealanders, Ardern said.
"These events are an opportunity for us to reflect on the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi," she said, adding that they are promoting national and community building, bringing New Zealanders of all cultures together in a spirit of partnership to commemorate the bicultural foundation of New Zealand.
"Together we can reflect on what it means to be a New Zealander and how Te Tiriti o Waitangi (the Treaty of Waitangi) underpins this," the prime minister added.
