Dutch ambassador's visit
Dutch ambassador to New Zealand Arie van der Wie, right, at the Abel Tasman Memorial last Tuesday. Mr van der Wie is engaging with, from left, DOC area manager John Mason, and Abel Tasman scholars Robert Jenkin and Grahame Anderson. Photo: Neil Wilson.
The Dutch ambassador to New Zealand, Arie van der Wiel, visited Golden Bay on Tuesday and engaged with various community members as thoughts begin to turn to the 370th anniversary of the first contact between Abel Tasman’s men and tangata whenua.
He expressed an interest in hearing more than the most commonly-accepted version of the encounter between Tasman and the Maori who lived here at the time.
“It’s important to gain an understanding of history so that we can move more confidently into the future,” said Mr van der Wiel. ”We would to help organise a hui here in Golden Bay to give Manawhenua ki Mohua a chance to tell the story of the first encounter from the perspective of the people who lived here at the time. It’s usually told from Tasman’s perspective and there will certainly be two distinct perspectives of the encounter. It’s time the Māori one was heard.”
Both the ambassador and the embassy’s cultural and trade officer Christine Hofkens were welcomed on to Onetahua Marae, which Mr van der Wiel described as “Great. The marae is looking beautiful.”
Next they visited the Abel Tasman memorial above Ligar Bay, where they were hosted by Department of Conservation area manager John Mason and members of his staff. There, Mr van der Wiel had the chance to talk with scholars who have researched the first encounter between Tasman’s men and the Māori who lived here at the time.
The visit came about through the efforts of local heritage campaigner Penny Griffith and others.
Ms Griffith described the visit as “very positive.”
Before leaving the Bay on Tuesday, Mr van der Wiel visited the Golden Bay Museum and shouted afternoon tea at the Golden Bay Community Centre.
Neil Wilson
