Hi, my name is Zaria, and today I am going to be talking about the Treaty of Waitangi. To start it off, did you know the Treaty promised to protect Maori culture and to authorise Maori to continue to live in New Zealand as Maori. Nevertheless, the Treaty gave the Crown the right to rule New Zealand and to represent the interests of all New Zealanders. Wait a minute!
What is the Treaty of Waitangi? The Treaty of Waitangi is New Zealand’s founding document. It takes its name from the place in the Bay of Islands where it was first signed, on the 6th of February 1840. It was a treaty between the British Crown Government and 540 Maori chiefs, natively known as “rangatira”. This day is now a public holiday in New Zealand.
Let’s take a closer look at the Treaty’s overview. The Treaty of Waitangi is a document that has three articles, containing broad statements and principles on which the British and Maori people judge a political pact to find and build a nation-state and government in New Zealand. But the English version contained three articles with these establishments.
- Maoris give control of their domination of New Zealand to Britain.
- Maoris give the British Crown undivided rights to buy lands they are willing to sell, in return, the Maori obtain full ownership of their lands, forests, fisheries and other possessions.
- The Maori and the British Subjects gain equal rights.
Hobson reassured the Maori rangatira that the treaty would raise and improve their status. In return, many chiefs were convinced into the agreement.
But, who is Hobson? The person who was given the task to secure Britain’s control over New Zealand’s sovereignty was Lieutenant-Governor William Hobson. Hobson had advisors who he relied on, but the one who stood out was James Busby. James was a British Resident and a consular representative in New Zealand. He was also hailed by the Maōri as the “Man-o-War without guns”. His main duty was to protect the British settlers and traders and prevent outrage amongst the Maōri.
Two days before the treaty was initially signed, the Missionary Henry Williams, and his son Edward Williams, stayed overnight to translate the English draft of the treaty into Maōri. 40 chiefs or rangatira initially signed the Maōri version of the treaty on the 6th of February, 1840. The first chief to sign the treaty was Hōne Heke. 500 more Maōri chiefs signed the copies of the treaty that were spread around the country as the month of September approached. Some chiefs signed despite being uncertain, and other chiefs refused or did not get the chance to sign at all.
The understanding of the Treaty has varied and has been a subject of debate. While many Maori have chosen to honour the treaty, some protested by marching to the Parliament and inhabiting land in the 1970s. The varied understanding of the treaty sparked studies and helped cultivate awareness of its meaning in New Zealand today. The Treaty Of Waitangi is often referred to as the founding document of New Zealand. Now, Waitangi Day is celebrated annually in New Zealand, marking the date when the treaty was officially signed: February 6, 1840. Waitangi Day was first commemorated in 1934 and has been a public holiday since 1974.
Anyways, we’ve come to the end of my writing and I hope you enjoyed learning about the Treaty of Waitangi, and why it was made. I hope this piece of writing has helped you learn why the Treaty of Waitangi! And to end it off I’m going to tell you a fun fact, today the Treaty is widely accepted to be an inherent document that confirms and guides the relationship between the Crown in New Zealand and Māori. The Treaty pledged to defend Māori culture and to authorise Māori to continue to live in New Zealand as Māori.