84-580: The Ngāti Tama is a historic Māori tribe of present-day New Zealand. Their origins, according to Māori oral tradition, date back to Tama Ariki, the chief navigator on the Tokomaru waka . They are located in north Taranaki , around Poutama . River Mōhakatino marks their northern boundary with the Tainui and the Ngāti Maniapoto . The close geographical proximity of Tainui's Ngāti Toa of Kawhia and
168-596: A Māori population that was more numerous, with cultivated land and government. Therefore, the British drew up the Treaty of Waitangi. In comparison, this situation did not apply in Australia where no treaties were deemed necessary by the British. While the threat of general French colonisation never materialised, in 1831 it prompted thirteen major chiefs from the far north of the country to meet at Kerikeri to compose
252-490: A Māori circular for the United Tribes high chiefs, inviting them to meet " Rangatira Hobson" on 5 February 1840 at Busby's Waitangi home. Without a draft document prepared by lawyers or Colonial Office officials, Hobson was forced to write his own treaty with the help of his secretary, James Freeman, and British Resident James Busby , neither of whom was a lawyer. Historian Paul Moon believes certain articles of
336-469: A distinct identity of its own in Wellington. They enjoy fishing and birding; own land rights and have an organizational structure associated with kainga, marae, and waahi tapu, among others. Despite the pressure of competing interests among the tribes of Wellington, at first a thriving economy was developed. This economy was largely based in trading with visiting ships. In November 1835, after discussing
420-619: A few other Europeans. French Catholic Bishop Jean-Baptiste Pompallier soon joined the gathering and after Anglican English priest and CMS mission head Rev Henry Williams read the Māori translation aloud from a final parchment version. Pompallier spoke to Hobson who then addressed Williams: The bishop wishes it to be publicly stated to the Natives that his religion will not be interfered with, and that free toleration will be allowed in matters of faith. I should therefore thank you to say to them that
504-440: A form of civil government. The Colonial Office did not provide a draft of the treaty. Normanby wrote at length about the need for British intervention as essential to protect Māori interests, but this was somewhat deceptive. Hobson's instructions gave no provision for Māori government of any kind nor any Māori involvement in the administrative structure of the prospective new colony. His instructions required him to: treat with
588-607: A kind of confederacy with an elected monarch called the Kīngitanga . (The Kīngitanga Movement would later form a primary anti-government force in the New Zealand Wars .) While copies were moved around the country to give as many tribal leaders as possible the opportunity to sign, some missed out, especially in the South Island, where inclement weather prevented copies from reaching Otago or Stewart Island . Assent to
672-910: A letter to King William IV asking for Britain to be a "friend and guardian" of New Zealand. It is the first known plea for British intervention written by Māori. In response, the British government sent James Busby in 1832 to serve as the British Resident in New Zealand. In 1834 Busby drafted a document known as the He Whakaputanga (in the Māori language) and the Declaration of the Independence of New Zealand (in English) which he and 35 northern Māori chiefs signed in 1835, establishing those chiefs as representatives under
756-425: A myth and that there is a lack of evidence or legal basis to support the statement being a fourth article of the treaty. Historian Michael King agreed with Moon that Pompallier was probably protecting Catholic interests, but also accused Moon of being anti-Catholic in his criticism of Pompallier stirring up trouble that day. The treaty signing began in the afternoon. Hobson headed the British signatories. Hōne Heke
840-413: A national holiday to commemorate the signing of the treaty. Treaty making by European powers with indigenous peoples had always been common but not universal practice in empire building. Treaties were dependent on the specific situation. In 19th century New Zealand, the British wanted to formalise their involvement in the country, regulate land speculation and control general disorder. They were faced with
924-677: A possible invasion of Samoa and the Norfolk Islands, many Ngati Tama took part in the sea invasion of the closer Chatham Islands. Together with the Ngati Mutunga, they captured the mate of The Lord Rodney and threatened to kill him unless he took them to the Chatham Islands. There they massacred about 300 Moriori , raped the women, enslaved the survivors, and destroyed their economy and traditional way of living. Some returned home to Taranaki. In 1835, 24 generations after
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#17327721017101008-469: A reign of terror. Stunned, the Moriori called a council of 1,000 men at Te Awapātiki to debate what to do. The younger men were keen to repel the invaders and argued that although they had not fought for many centuries, they outnumbered the newcomers two to one and were a strong people. But the elders argued that Nunuku’s Law was a sacred covenant with their gods and could not be broken. The consequences for
1092-611: A safe in the Colonial Secretary 's office. In 1877, the English-language rough draft of the treaty was published along with photolithographic facsimiles , and the originals were returned to storage. In 1908, historian and bibliographer Thomas Hocken , searching for historical documents, found the treaty papers in the basement of the Old Government Buildings in poor condition, damaged at
1176-421: A total value of roughly $ 1 billion have been awarded to various Māori groups. Various legislation passed in the latter part of the 20th century has made reference to the treaty, which has led to ad hoc incorporation of the treaty into law. Increasingly, the treaty is recognised as a founding document in New Zealand's developing unwritten constitution. The New Zealand Day Act 1973 established Waitangi Day as
1260-530: A treaty in English could not be understood, debated or agreed to by Māori, Hobson asked CMS head missioner Henry Williams, and his son Edward Marsh Williams , who was a scholar in Māori language and custom, to translate the document overnight on 4 February. Henry Williams was concerned with the actions of the New Zealand Company in Wellington and felt he had to agree with Hobson's request to ensure
1344-612: A twofold significance: first, for the British to establish control of its lawless subjects in New Zealand; and second, to establish internationally the mana and sovereignty of Māori leaders . From May to July 1836, Royal Navy officer Captain William Hobson , under instruction from Governor of New South Wales Sir Richard Bourke , visited New Zealand to investigate claims of lawlessness in its settlements. Hobson recommended in his report that British sovereignty be established over New Zealand, in small pockets similar to those of
1428-665: Is the radio station of Ngati Tama and other tribes from the Taranaki region , including the Ngati Mutunga , Te Atiawa , Ngāti Maru , Taranaki , Ngāruahine , Ngati Ruanui and Ngaa Rauru Kiitahi . It started at the Bell Block campus of Taranaki Polytechnic in 1992, and moved to the Spotswood campus in 1993. It is available on 94.8 FM across Taranaki. Iwi Too Many Requests If you report this error to
1512-698: The British Crown and by Māori chiefs ( rangatira ) from the North Island of New Zealand. The treaty's quasi-legal status satisfies the demands of biculturalism in contemporary New Zealand society. In general terms, it is interpreted today as having established a partnership between equals in a way the Crown likely did not intend it to in 1840. Specifically, the treaty is seen, first, as entitling Māori to enjoyment of land and of natural resources and, if that right were ever breached, to restitution. Second,
1596-931: The Hudson's Bay Company in Rupert's Land (in present-day Canada ). Hobson's report was forwarded to the Colonial Office. From April to May 1838, the House of Lords held a select committee into the "State of the Islands of New Zealand". The New Zealand Association (later the New Zealand Company ), missionaries, Joel Samuel Polack , and the Royal Navy made submissions to the committee. On 15 June 1839, new letters patent were issued in London to expand
1680-799: The National Archives by Mike Moore , Prime Minister of New Zealand , in November 1990. It was announced in 2012 that the nine Treaty of Waitangi sheets would be relocated to the National Library of New Zealand in 2013. In 2017, the He Tohu permanent exhibition at the National Library opened, displaying the treaty documents along with the Declaration of Independence and the 1893 Women's Suffrage Petition . The treaty, its interpretation and significance can be viewed as
1764-419: The Ngati Mutunga explains the long, continuous, and close relationship among these three tribes. The Ngati Tama migrated south in the 1820s in search of better opportunities (e.g. trade) and to ensure their safety, as there was a conflict with musket-carrying Tainui people. The Ngati Tama paramount chief Te Pūoho-o-te-rangi led the expedition south, along with his brother Te Kaeaea and other chiefs. While
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#17327721017101848-757: The Public Trustee at Palmerston North by the local member of parliament, who did not tell staff what was in the case. However, as the case was too large to fit in the safe, the treaty documents spent the war at the side of a back corridor in the Public Trust office. In 1956, the Department of Internal Affairs placed the treaty documents in the care of the Alexander Turnbull Library and they were displayed in 1961. Further preservation steps were taken in 1966, with improvements to
1932-500: The history of New Zealand , its constitution , and its national mythos . It has played a major role in the treatment of the Māori people in New Zealand by successive governments and the wider population, something that has been especially prominent from the late 20th century. The treaty document is an agreement, not a treaty as recognised in international law. It was first signed on 6 February 1840 by Captain William Hobson as consul for
2016-417: The 4–5 February the original English version of the treaty was translated into Māori. On the morning of 5 February the Māori and English versions of the treaty were put before a gathering ( hui ) of northern chiefs inside a large marquee on the lawn in front of Busby's house at Waitangi. Hobson read the treaty aloud in English and Williams read the Māori translation and explained each section and warned
2100-515: The Aborigines of New Zealand for the recognition of Her Majesty's Sovereign authority over the whole or any part of those islands which they may be willing to place under Her Majesty's dominion. The historian, Claudia Orange , argues that prior to 1839 the Colonial Office had initially planned a "Māori New Zealand" in which European settlers would be accommodated (without a full colony), where Māori might retain ownership and authority over much of
2184-468: The British that the French would put pressure on them in a similar manner to that of other Pacific Islanders farther north in what would become French Polynesia . Most importantly, Māori leaders trusted CMS missionary advice and their explanation of the treaty. The missionaries had explained the treaty as a covenant between Māori and Queen Victoria, the head of state and Church of England . With nearly half
2268-683: The Chatham Islands. Some individuals survived, many in whanau groupings, living with other Maori groups. The Ngati Tama's presence in Wellington as a tribe was lost. Given the absence of an organized entity representing the Ngati Tama in Wellington, other tribes such as the Ngāti Toa and the Te Atiawa took responsibility for looking after the Ngati Tama's interests. In particular, the Wellington Tenths Trust has directly represented
2352-566: The Christ Church at Kororareka (Russell), where he publicly read a number of proclamations. The first was the Letters Patent 1839, in relation to the extension of the boundaries of New South Wales to include the islands of New Zealand. The second related to Hobson's own appointment as Lieutenant-Governor of New Zealand. The third concerned land transactions (notably the issue of pre-emption). CMS printer William Colenso produced
2436-474: The Crown finished its land acquisition program, the Ngati Tama had virtually no land left. By the 1870s, they had largely moved from the harbor rim and been evicted. The impact on the Ngati Tama was significant. They had been scattered by the invasion of the Waikato tribes during the musket wars of the 1820s. Many then left Wellington, which they had invaded and conquered, to take part in the seaborne invasion of
2520-603: The Moriori chief Nunuku had forbidden war, the Moriori welcomed about 900 people from two Māori tribes, the Ngāti Mutunga and the Ngāti Tama. Originally from Taranaki (on New Zealand’s Northern Island), they had voyaged from Wellington on an overcrowded European vessel, the Rodney. They arrived severely weakened, but were nursed back to health by their Moriori hosts. However, they soon revealed their hostile intentions and embarked on
2604-487: The Moriori were devastating. Although the total number of Moriori first slaughtered was said to be around 300, hundreds more were enslaved by the invading tribes and later died. Some were killed by their captors. Others, horrified by the desecration of their beliefs, died of despair. According to records made by elders, 1,561 Moriori died between 1835 and 1863, when they were released from slavery. Many succumbed to diseases introduced by Europeans, but large numbers also died at
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2688-493: The Māori population following Christianity many looked at the treaty as a Biblical covenant – a sacred bond. Afterwards, the chiefs then moved to a river flat below Busby's house and lawn and continued deliberations late into the night. Busby's house would later become known as the Treaty House and is today New Zealand's most visited historic building. Hobson had planned for the signing to occur on 7 February however on
2772-704: The New Zealand Company colonising New Zealand outside of the British Crown's jurisdiction. The Colonial Office was forced to accelerate its plans because of both the New Zealand Company's hurried dispatch of the Tory to New Zealand on 12 May 1839 to purchase land, and plans by French Captain Jean François L'Anglois to establish a French colony in Akaroa . After examining Colonial Office documents and correspondence (both private and public) of those who developed
2856-716: The Ngati Tama and the Te Atiawa arrived in Whanganui-a-Tara in a series of migrations from Taranaki, led by Ngāti Toa) in 1822, participating in a process of invasion and conquest and occupation of the surroundings of Wellington by 1824. They encountered tribes who were already settled in Te Whanganui-a-Tara such as the Ngai Tara, the Ngati Ira, and the Ngati Kahungunu. While the Ngāti Toa and
2940-464: The Ngati Tama were one of the first Taranaki tribes to arrive in Wellington in the 1820s, other tribes and clans joined the migration from Taranaki, such as the Ngati Mutunga and the Te Atiawa. These three tribes share the same heritage, which goes back to the "Tokomaru canoe". Some central and southern Taranaki tribes, including the Wanganui, also took part in the journey southwards. Evidence suggests
3024-915: The Ngati Tama's survival. By 1842, the Ngati Tama people were forcibly removed from their lands by Crown-assisted settler occupation. They sought refuge by squatting on land in the Hutt Valley, where the soil was more productive than in the reserves they had been awarded. The occupation was short-lived and ended in February 1846, when Governor Grey evicted them under threat of military intervention. The Ngati Tama's cultivated areas, their sole means of survival, were plundered. Their chief Te Kaeaea exiled in Auckland. The remaining Ngati Tama had to seek sanctuary with other indigenous tribes and clans. They suffered from high levels of disease and mortality, having no choice but to sell reserve land out of necessity. When
3108-478: The Taranaki tribes shared common rights about the land around Wellington, the Ngati Tama kept a separate and distinct identity in various areas in Wellington. Ngati Tama settlements on the harbor included Kaiwharawhara, Pakuao and Raurimu from the first arrival in 1824, Tiakiwai (Thorndon) after the departure of Ngati Mutunga (in 1835). The Ngati Tama established settlements at Ohariu, Mākara, Ohaua, and Oterongo on
3192-497: The Wikimedia System Administrators, please include the details below. Request from 172.68.168.151 via cp1112 cp1112, Varnish XID 922976300 Upstream caches: cp1112 int Error: 429, Too Many Requests at Thu, 28 Nov 2024 05:35:01 GMT Treaty of Waitangi The Treaty of Waitangi ( Māori : Te Tiriti o Waitangi ), sometimes referred to as Te Tiriti , is a document of central importance to
3276-473: The bishop will be protected and supported in his religion – that I shall protect all creeds alike. Williams attempted to do so vocally, but as this was technically another clause in the treaty, Colenso asked for it to be added in writing, which Williams did, also adding Māori custom. The statement says: E mea ana te Kawana, ko nga whakapono katoa, o Ingarani, o nga Weteriana, o Roma, me te ritenga Maori hoki, e tiakina ngatahitia e ia. (The Governor says that
3360-423: The chiefs not to rush to decide whether to sign. Building on Biblical understanding, he said: This is Queen Victoria's act of love to you. She wants to ensure you that you keep what is yours – your property, your rights and privileges, and those things you value. Who knows when a foreign power, perhaps the French, might try to take this country? The treaty is really like a fortress to you. Māori chiefs then debated
3444-431: The chiefs. This no doubt was a reference to the northern confederation of chiefs with whom Hobson preferred to negotiate, who eventually made up the vast majority of signatories to the treaty. Hobson believed that elsewhere in the country the Crown could exercise greater freedom over the rights of "first discoverers", which proved unwise as it led to future difficulties with other tribes in the South Island. Overnight on
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3528-485: The compensation under protest while those living in Ohariu missed any compensation whatsoever. In 1847, McCleverty concluded a series of agreements with Ngati Tama to finally settle the reserves issue. In total, the 200 Ngati Tama received 2600 acres of reserves, of which about 13 acres per person were set aside as compensation. The ceded reserves were inadequate for their needs and unsuitable for growing crops, essential for
3612-461: The concepts communicated in the translation were from the Māori Bible, including kawanatanga (governorship) and rangatiratanga (chiefly rule), and the idea of the treaty as a "covenant" was biblical. The translation of the treaty was reviewed by James Busby, and he proposed the substitution of the word whakaminenga for huihuinga , to describe the "Confederation" or gathering of
3696-706: The constitutional steps needed to establish a British colony. He was appointed Consul to New Zealand and was instructed to negotiate a voluntary transfer of sovereignty from the Māori to the British Crown – as the House of Lords select committee had recommended in 1837. The Secretary of State for War and the Colonies , the Marquess of Normanby , gave Hobson three instructions: to gain freely given Māori recognition of British sovereignty over all or part of New Zealand, to assume complete control over land matters, and to establish
3780-425: The copies, and a further 500 signatures were added to the treaty. While most did eventually sign, especially in the far north where most Māori lived, a number of chiefs and some tribal groups ultimately refused, including Pōtatau Te Wherowhero (Waikato iwi) , Tuhoe , Te Arawa and Ngāti Tuwharetoa and possibly Moka 'Kainga-mataa' . A number of non-signatory Waikato and Central North Island chiefs would later form
3864-525: The country, rather than on the single English copy. Basing their decision on this information, on 2 October 1840, the Colonial Office approved Hobson's proclamation. They did not have second thoughts when later reports revealed more detail about the inadequacies of the treaty negotiations, and they did not take issue with the fact that large areas of the North Island had not signed. The government had never asked for Hobson to obtain unanimous agreement from
3948-474: The display conditions. From 1977 to 1980, the library extensively restored the documents before the treaty was deposited in the Reserve Bank. In anticipation of a decision to exhibit the document in 1990 (the sesquicentennial of the signing), full documentation and reproduction photography was carried out. Several years of planning culminated with the opening of the climate-controlled Constitution Room at
4032-476: The early 1990s. During the second half of the 19th century Māori generally lost control of much of the land they had owned, sometimes through legitimate sale, but often by way of unfair deals, settlers occupying land that had not been sold, or through outright confiscations in the aftermath of the New Zealand Wars. In the period following the New Zealand Wars, the New Zealand government mostly ignored
4116-651: The edges by water and partly eaten by rodents. The papers were restored by the Dominion Museum in 1913 and kept in special boxes from then on. In February 1940, the treaty documents were taken to Waitangi for display in the Treaty House during the Centenary celebrations. It was possibly the first time the treaty document had been on public display since it was signed. After the outbreak of war with Japan, they were placed with other state documents in an outsize luggage trunk and deposited for secure custody with
4200-407: The forty-six "head chiefs" had signed. Hobson had no intention of requiring the unanimous assent of Māori to the treaty, but was willing to accept a majority, as he reported that the signings at Waitangi represented "Clear recognition of the sovereign rights of Her Majesty over the northern parts of this island". Those that signed at Waitangi did not even represent the north as a whole; an analysis of
4284-428: The hands of the Ngāti Mutunga and the Ngāti Tama. In 1862 only 101 remained. When the last known full-blooded Moriori died in 1933, many thought this marked the extinction of a race. In the late 1830s, the New Zealand Company brought boatloads of European colonizers who searched for a place to settle in Te Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington Harbor). The effects of European settlement on the Ngati Tama proved to be disastrous as
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#17327721017104368-510: The indigenous people. In 1841, treaty documents, housed in an iron box, narrowly escaped damage when saved by civil servant George Elliot as the government offices at Official Bay in Auckland were destroyed by fire. They disappeared from sight until 1865 when a Native Department officer worked on them in Wellington at the request of parliament and produced an erroneous list of signatories. The papers were fastened together and then deposited in
4452-593: The interests of its beneficiaries; namely those individuals and their descendants who were named as owners of Ngati Tama reserves in the Wellington region back in the 19th century. In 2003, the tribe's historical Treaty of Waitangi claims were resolved with the passing of the Ngati Tama Claims Settlement Act 2003. The Act includes a historical narrative of the Crown's interactions with the tribe and an apology: The settlement also includes specific financial benefits. Te Korimako O Taranaki
4536-400: The land and cede some land to European settlers as part of a colony governed by the Crown. Normanby's instructions in 1839 show that the Colonial Office had shifted their stance toward colonisation and "a settler New Zealand in which a place had to be kept for Māori", primarily due to pressure from increasing numbers of British colonists, and the prospect of a private enterprise in the form of
4620-418: The many Catholic Māori in the north concerning the treaty, urged them to be very wary of the treaty and not to sign anything. For Māori chiefs, the signing at Waitangi would have needed a great deal of trust. Nonetheless, the expected benefits of British protection must have outweighed their fears. In particular, the French were also interested in New Zealand, and there were fears that if they did not side with
4704-552: The missionaries. Tāmati Wāka Nene said to the chiefs: Some of you tell Hobson to go. But that's not going to solve our difficulties. We have already sold so much land here in the north. We have no way of controlling the Europeans who have settled on it. I'm amazed to hear you telling him to go! Why didn't you tell the traders and grog-sellers to go years ago? There are too many Europeans here now and there are children that unite our races. Bishop Pompallier, who had been counselling
4788-591: The morning of 6 February 45 chiefs were waiting ready to sign. Around noon a ship carrying two officers from HMS Herald arrived and were surprised to hear they were waiting for the Governor so a boat was quickly despatched back to let him know. Although the official painting of the signing shows Hobson wearing full naval regalia, he was in fact not expecting the chiefs that day and was wearing his dressing gown or "in plain clothes, except his hat". Several hundred Māori were waiting and only Busby, Williams, Colenso and
4872-496: The new arrivals sought Maori land. The Port Nicholson Deed was a land sale transaction between the New Zealand Company and the chiefs in the Hutt Valley, with the Ngati Tama Chief Te Kaeaea taking part in it. The New Zealand Company thought they had purchased land from Te Kaeaea when they had only been given anchorage and port rights at Wellington Harbor. The Crown set up a Spanish Commission to inquire into
4956-432: The policies that led to the development of the treaty, historian Paul Moon similarly argues that the treaty was not envisioned with deliberate intent to assert sovereignty over Māori, but that the Crown originally only intended to apply rule over British subjects living in the fledgling colony, and these rights were later expanded by subsequent governors through perceived necessity. Hobson left London on 15 August 1839 and
5040-431: The proclamation on 23 May 1840, Hobson declared the settlement's government as illegal. Hobson also failed to report to the British government that the Māori text of the treaty was substantially different from the English one (which he might not have known at the time) and also reported that both texts had received 512 signatures, where in truth the majority of signatures had been on the Māori copies that had been sent around
5124-543: The sale of Ngati Tama land. Despite protests from the Ngati Tama, the Crown assisted the settlers and gave them indigenous land. The Crown's actions had a fatal impact in Whanganui-a-Tara, the Ngati Tama losing the land they had conquered in 1822. In 1844 Governor Fitzroy adopted a policy of compensating the Ngati Tama. However, there was no consultation and the compensation proceeded only in a summary fashion. The Ngati Tama living in Kaiwharawhara received their share of
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#17327721017105208-514: The sale of land in Wellington. Spain adopted an attitude towards the Ngati Tama's claims prejudicial for their interests because of the occupation of the land in the Hutt by the Ngati Tama. While Spain recognized the numerous faults in the land sales, the Commission's findings incorrectly assumed that Te Kaeaea's participation in the transaction of Port Nicholson was equal to the complete support for
5292-401: The several faiths [beliefs] of England, of the Wesleyans, of Rome, and also Māori custom shall alike be protected by him). This addition is sometimes referred to as article four of the treaty, and is recognised as relating to the right to freedom of religion and belief ( wairuatanga ). Historian Paul Moon has claimed any guarantee of religious freedom implied by Pompallier's action is
5376-535: The signatures shows that most were from the Bay of Islands only and that not many of the chiefs of the highest rank had signed on that day. Hobson considered the initial signing at Waitangi to be the "de facto" treaty, while later signings merely "ratified and confirmed it". To enhance the treaty's authority, eight additional copies were sent around the country to gather additional signatures: The Waitangi original received 240 signatures. About 50 meetings were held from February to September 1840 to discuss and sign
5460-425: The state. In 1975 the New Zealand Parliament passed the Treaty of Waitangi Act , establishing the Waitangi Tribunal as a permanent commission of inquiry tasked with interpreting the treaty, investigating breaches of the Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi by the Crown or its agents, and suggesting means of redress. In most cases, recommendations of the tribunal are not binding on the Crown, but settlements with
5544-441: The territory of New South Wales to include the entire territory of New Zealand, from latitude 34° South to 47° 10' South, and from longitude 166° 5' East to 179° East. Governor of New South Wales George Gipps was appointed Governor over New Zealand. This was the first clear expression of British intent to annex New Zealand. Hobson was called to the Colonial Office on the evening of 14 August 1839 and given instructions to take
5628-400: The title of the " United Tribes of New Zealand ". He Whakaputanga (Declaration of the Independence of New Zealand) asserted that the 'public authority' of New Zealand remained with Māori. This document was not well received by the Colonial Office in Britain, and it was decided in London that a new policy for New Zealand was needed. From a Māori perspective, The Declaration of Independence had
5712-472: The treaty as the signing took place but they eventually signed and after Marupō shook the Governor's hand, seized hold of his hat which was on the table and gestured to put it on. Over 40 chiefs signed the treaty that afternoon, which concluded with a chief leading three thundering cheers, and Colenso distributing gifts of two blankets and tobacco to each signatory. Hobson considered the signing at Waitangi to be highly significant, he noted that twenty-six of
5796-534: The treaty for five hours, much of which was recorded and translated by the Paihia missionary station printer, William Colenso . Rewa, a Catholic chief, who had been influenced by the French Catholic Bishop Pompallier , said "The Māori people don't want a governor! We aren't European. It's true that we've sold some of our lands. But this country is still ours! We chiefs govern this land of our ancestors". Moka 'Kainga-mataa' argued that all land unjustly purchased by Europeans should be returned. Whai asked: "Yesterday I
5880-400: The treaty resemble the Treaty of Utrecht (1713), the British Sherbro Agreement (1825) and the treaty between Britain and Soombia Soosoos (1826). The entire treaty was prepared in three days, in which it underwent many revisions. There were doubts even during the drafting process that the Māori chiefs would be able to understand the concept of relinquishing "sovereignty". Assuming that
5964-493: The treaty was large in Kaitaia , as well as the Wellington to Whanganui region, but there were at least some holdouts in every other part of New Zealand. Māori were the first indigenous race to sign a document giving them British citizenship and promising their protection. Hobson was grateful to Williams and stated a British colony would not have been established in New Zealand without the CMS missionaries. On 21 May 1840, Lieutenant-Governor Hobson proclaimed sovereignty over
6048-424: The treaty would be as favourable as possible to Māori. Williams avoided using any English words that had no expression in Māori "thereby preserving entire the spirit and tenor" of the treaty. He added a note to the copy Hobson sent to Gibbs stating, "I certify that the above is as literal a translation of the Treaty of Waitangi as the idiom of the language will allow." The gospel -based literacy of Māori meant some of
6132-449: The treaty's quasi-legal status has clouded the question of whether Māori had ceded sovereignty to the Crown in 1840, and if so, whether such sovereignty remains intact. The treaty was written at a time when the New Zealand Company , acting on behalf of large numbers of settlers and would-be settlers, was establishing a colony in New Zealand, and when some Māori leaders had petitioned the British for protection against French ambitions. It
6216-427: The treaty, and a court judgement in 1877 declared it to be "a simple nullity ". Beginning in the 1950s, Māori increasingly sought to use the treaty as a platform for claiming additional rights to sovereignty and to reclaim lost land, and governments in the 1960s and 1970s responded to these arguments, giving the treaty an increasingly central role in the interpretation of land rights and relations between Māori people and
6300-619: The western coast; and Komangarautawhiri further north. They also had summer fishing kainga at Okiwi and Mukamuka (Palliser Bay). The Ngati Tama basically owned all rights in Te Whanganui-a-Tara and its resources, especially from the west to the coast. The Ngati Tama were joined tangata whenua, and had tino rangatiratanga, mana whenua and tangata whenua status over those lands, in accordance with traditional Maori law and customs. They exerted their status with their mana, rangatiratanga, by creating relations between groups, or by physical use, cultivation and occupation. The Ngati Tama tribe has maintained
6384-463: The whole country, (the North Island by treaty and the South Island and Stewart Island by discovery) and New Zealand was constituted the Colony of New Zealand , separate from New South Wales by a Royal Charter issued on 16 November 1840, with effect from 3 May 1841. In Hobson's first dispatch to the British government, he stated that the North Island had been ceded with "unanimous adherence" (which
6468-452: The written Māori language of the time, the Māori text is not an exact translation of the English text, particularly in relation to the meaning of having and ceding sovereignty. These differences created disagreements in the decades following the signing, eventually contributing to the New Zealand Wars of 1845 to 1872 and continuing through to the Treaty of Waitangi settlements starting in
6552-466: Was cursed by a white man. Is that the way things are going to be?". Protestant Chiefs such as Hōne Heke , Pumuka , Te Wharerahi , Tāmati Wāka Nene and his brother Eruera Maihi Patuone were accepting of the Governor. Hōne Heke said: Governor, you should stay with us and be like a father. If you go away then the French or the rum sellers will take us Maori over. How can we know what the future will bring? If you stay, we can be 'all as one' with you and
6636-544: Was drafted with the intention of establishing a British Governor of New Zealand , recognising Māori ownership of their lands, forests and other possessions, and giving Māori the rights of British subjects . It was intended by the British Crown to ensure that when Lieutenant Governor Hobson subsequently made the declaration of British sovereignty over New Zealand in May 1840, the Māori people would not feel that their rights had been ignored. Once it had been written and translated, it
6720-400: Was first signed by Northern Māori leaders at Waitangi . Copies were subsequently taken around New Zealand and over the following months many other chiefs signed. Around 530 to 540 Māori, at least 13 of them women, signed the Māori language version of the Treaty of Waitangi, despite some Māori leaders cautioning against it. Only 39 signed the English version. An immediate result of the treaty
6804-408: Was not accurate) and while Hobson claimed the South Island by discovery based on the "uncivilised state of the natives", in actuality he had no basis to make such a claim. Hobson issued the proclamation because he felt it was forced on him by settlers from the New Zealand Company at Port Nicholson who had formed an independent settlement government and claimed legality from local chiefs, two days after
6888-720: Was sworn in as Lieutenant-Governor of New Zealand in Sydney on 14 January 1840, finally arriving in the Bay of Islands on 29 January 1840. Meanwhile, a second New Zealand Company ship, the Cuba , had arrived in Port Nicholson on 3 January 1840 with a survey party to prepare for settlement there. The Aurora , the first ship carrying immigrants, arrived in Port Nicholson on 22 January 1840. On 30 January 1840 Hobson attended
6972-434: Was that Queen Victoria 's government gained the sole right to purchase land. In total there are nine signed copies of the Treaty of Waitangi, including the sheet signed on 6 February 1840 at Waitangi. The text of the treaty includes a preamble and three articles. It is bilingual, with the Māori text translated in the context of the time from the English. As some words in the English treaty did not translate directly into
7056-453: Was the first of the Māori chiefs who signed that day. As each chief signed Hobson said " He iwi tahi tātou ", meaning "We are [now] one people". This was probably at the request of Williams, knowing the significance, especially to Christian chiefs, 'Māori and British would be linked, as subjects of the Queen and followers of Christ'. Two chiefs, Marupō and Ruhe , protested strongly against
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