Te Tiriti o Waitangi
Why do we have a Treaty?
A treaty is an agreement between two (or more) independent nations.
Te Tiriti o Waitangi is an agreement between Māori rangatira, the leaders of hapū (nations), and the British Crown (now the New Zealand Government).
Hapū in Aotearoa have a long history of strategic alliances. Negotiation of formal treaties (tatau pounamu or peacemaking) between hapū was a regular practice prior to the arrival of Europeans.
What were the events that led to Te Tiriti?
In the late 1700s and early 1800s sealers, whalers, and missionaries came here and lived amongst Māori. Māori travelled extensively and had trading relationships, particularly with Australia, England and North America.
In 1835, the authority and independence of Māori in New Zealand was declared and recognised internationally. He Whakaputanga o te Rangatiratanga o Nu Tireni (the Declaration of Independence) stated that mana and rangatiratanga (sovereign power and authority) in New Zealand was held by hapū. Any foreign authority (kāwanatanga) could only be established with their permission. The Declaration was initially signed by rangatira in the northern regions and later in other areas. It was officially acknowledged by the British Crown in 1836.
The lack of control over increasing numbers of settlers was a concern for the British government and Māori in some areas. A private enterprise (the New Zealand Company) was leading large-scale immigration, having sold rights to nearly 100,000 acres of Māori land in Britain before any agreement with Māori. These factors and general lawlessness by settlers meant the British government wanted to ensure control over their own citizens and to protect the sovereign nations of Aotearoa. What does Te Tiriti o Waitangi say in simple terms? Te Tiriti is a commitment to a relationship of peace and mutual benefit. It allowed for others to come here while affirming the authority of Māori.
There are four parts of Te Tiriti:
Preamble
The Queen wants Māori people to keep their lands and independence and she wants all peoples to live together in peace. This agreement is to make a government for her people who are now in New Zealand and for those who will come in the future.
Article 1 – Kāwanatanga
Māori give to the Queen of England the right to establish a Government in New Zealand.
Article 2 – Tino Rangatiratanga
In addition, the Queen agrees that Māori will keep their independence and keep control over their lands and everything that is important to them. They give to the Queen the right to buy land, if they want to sell it.
Article 3 – Ōritetanga
The Queen gives Māori people the same rights as British people.
Ritenga Māori / Wairuatanga
The Governor promises to protect Māori customs and the different religions in New Zealand (a spoken promise).
You can read the full versions of Te Tiriti o Waitangi here.
Who signed it and where was it signed?
Te Tiriti o Waitangi was signed in 1840 by over 500 rangatira (chiefs) of the hapū and Captain William Hobson on behalf of the British Crown. It was signed in 38 locations throughout New Zealand. Before signing, there was extensive discussion and debate of Te Tiriti o Waitangi – the text in te reo. In 1840, Māori were over 97% of the population.
Why is Te Tiriti important for all of us?
Te Tiriti is the foundation for ongoing peace and mutual benefit in Aotearoa.
It provides for a society in which all can flourish – where Māori have authority over the things of importance to them; lands, language, and everything they treasure, and tangata Tiriti have the ability to have systems that work for and reflect their diverse people. Within this relationship, there is a space in between for negotiating issues of shared interest and concern.
The authority of the New Zealand Government rests on Te Tiriti.
Te Tiriti is one of our key constitutional documents and gives our government the authority to make laws and policies for tangata Tiriti (non-Māori).
Māori continue to lead for us all, despite the significant harm caused to Māori by our Government since signing Te Tiriti.
Across Aotearoa, Māori continue to lead innovative solutions to some of our biggest collective challenges, such as climate change and global pandemics. Honouring Te Tiriti and resourcing tino rangatiratanga means that more solutions will be available to all of us.
Te Tiriti provides a framework for taking the best care of each other and our environment.
Te Tiriti, as an agreement to work together and share decision making, means that we can draw on all of our unique skills and experiences to ensure the best care of all people and the planet.
There are two versions of the Treaty (the English text and the Te Reo text). Why should we focus on Te Tiriti (the Te Reo text)?
It is important that all of us honour the commitment made to a peaceful relationship of mutual benefit through Te Tiriti o Waitangi. 500 Māori leaders and the Queen's representatives signed Te Tiriti. It was what was discussed and agreed to.
What does tino rangatiratanga mean?
Tino rangatiratanga means Māori making decisions together about things that are important to them. This includes decisions about their people, lands, waterways, natural environment, language, etc. Tino rangatiratanga is a collective process of decision making specific to Māori and is guaranteed by Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
How does Te Tiriti work with democracy?
Most of us want to make sure that we all have a say on things that matter to us. Democracies exist all over the world and are unique because of the cultural and political context of the places they are developed in. Te Tiriti is the foundation of New Zealand’s unique democracy, which ensures that everyone can have a say within our government systems, and that Māori lead on decisions that are important to them.
What are the treaty principles?
Treaty principles have been designed by the government to work like a bridge between Te Tiriti o Waitangi (in te reo Māori) and The Treaty of Waitangi (in English). The phrase "the principles of the Treaty" now has a specialised meaning through its use in law and government. There is a significant body of law around this concept, and so, like many legal terms, it carries a particular, technical meaning that guides how the government applies Te Tiriti in our laws and decision making.
What could a Te Tiriti based future look like?
There are so many possibilities for a future that is based on Te Tiriti - here are just some of them!
- Stronger relationships together, based on a sense of justness and trust
- A sense of belonging for everyone who chooses to live in Aotearoa now, and in the future
- Restoration of language and traditions that are unique to this part of the world
- Places that are special to us are abundant with plants and wildlife
- We all have access to fresh and plentiful food and water
- We have equitable healthcare that meets everyone’s differing needs
- Our children and grandchildren have quality childcare and environments for them to thrive.
These FAQs are sourced from Together for a Flourishing Aotearoa by a group of citizens (both Māori and Tangata Tiriti) and hosted online by Me Tū ā-Uru. Read the original resource.