Treaty of Waitangi

The Treaty of Waitangi (Māori: Te Tiriti o Waitangi) was signed on {{event|1840|2|6|region=NZ|category=treatie}} at Waitangi in the Bay of Islands, New Zealand. It was signed by representatives of the British Crown, and chiefs from the Northern North Island including the handful of chiefs the British Resident, James Busby had earlier induced to claim independence as the Confederation of the United Tribes of New Zealand.

The Treaty today

Because of the short length and limited scope of the Treaty, it is not a suitable document to be a constitution and is not recognised as such. However, it is the basis of New Zealand's founding myth and is a vitally important document because of this.

Related Topics:
Constitution - Founding myth

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Often, people speak of the principles or spirit of the Treaty. Unfortunately, there is no clear consensus as to the nature of these. For some people the spirit is one of the joining of two peoples to become one, or as Hobson himself said on the day of the first signing, "Now we are one people". For others the 'spirit' is one of a partnership between the Crown and Māori. This latter view has tended to prevail in official circles, especially since a series of significant Court decisions in the 1980s.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Regardless of the political controversy which continues to swirl around the meaning of the treaty, it remains an extraordinary document when viewed in historical context of the time. The contrast between the Treaty and the treatment accorded indigenous people by European colonisers in most other parts of the world is striking.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~