The Auckland Pride Festival 2021 opens with the dawn blessing, acknowledging mana whenua and our takatāpui whānau. As the very first event of a month-long programme, Tuwheratanga offers a chance to open the space for the Festival, to take stock and reflect back on our shared history, those who have carved a path for our community, and to pay tribute to the pioneers of the queer liberation movement in Aotearoa.