Why are there two versions of the Treaty of Waitangi?

There were two versions of the Treaty – one in English and one in Māori. They are not exact translations of each other. Those who signed the Treaty brought different experiences and understandings of certain words to the signing.

How was the Treaty of Waitangi broken?

The land was lost through a combination of private and Government purchases, outright confiscation, and Native Land Court practices that made it difficult for Māori to maintain their land under traditional ownership structures. There were some purchases of Māori land made before the Treaty was signed.

What happened on the 6th of February 1840?

Waitangi Day (Māori: Te Rā o Waitangi), the national day of New Zealand, marks the anniversary of the initial signing – on 6 February 1840 – of the Treaty of Waitangi, which is regarded as the founding document of the nation.

What did Māori get from the Treaty?

In the English version, Māori cede the sovereignty of New Zealand to Britain; Māori give the Crown an exclusive right to buy lands they wish to sell, and, in return, are guaranteed full rights of ownership of their lands, forests, fisheries and other possessions; and Māori are given the rights and privileges of British ...

Is the Treaty of Waitangi still valid today?

The Treaty of Waitangi was signed in 1840 and was an agreement between the British Crown and a large number of Māori chiefs. Today the Treaty is widely accepted to be a constitutional document that establishes and guides the relationship between the Crown in New Zealand (embodied by our government) and Māori.

When was the Treaty of Waitangi Act 1975 amended?

2006 Amendment (Maori Purposes Bill)

This amends section 6 of the Treaty of Waitangi Act to set a closing date of 1 September 2008 for submitting historical Treaty claims, defined as those relating to acts or omissions of the Crown prior to 21 September 1992.

When did Maori arrive in NZ?

Māori settlement

The first people to arrive in New Zealand were ancestors of the Māori. The first settlers probably arrived from Polynesia between 1200 and 1300 AD. They discovered New Zealand as they explored the Pacific, navigating by the ocean currents, winds and stars.

When was the Declaration of Independence signed NZ?

We, the hereditary chiefs and heads of the tribes of the Northern parts of New Zealand, being assembled at Waitangi, in the Bay of Islands, on this 28th day of October, 1835, declare the Independence of our country, which is hereby constituted and declared to be an Independent State, under the designation of The United ...

What is Article 1 of the Treaty of Waitangi?

Kawanatanga – Article 1 provides for the Government to govern, though not in isolation from other provisions of the Treaty of Waitangi. The right to govern is qualified by an obligation to protect Māori interests. This aspect of the agreement is further established within the other articles of the Treaty.

What does signing a treaty mean?

Signing: agreement between national delegations

Together they agree on the terms that will bind the signatory states. Once they reach agreement, the treaty will be signed, usually by the relevant ministers. By signing a treaty, a state expresses the intention to comply with the treaty.

When was NZ first discovered?

The dutch explorer Abel Tasman is officially recognised as the first European to 'discover' New Zealand in 1642.

Did James Busby signed the Treaty of Waitangi?

In early 1840 Busby helped William Hobson draft the Treaty of Waitangi. The document was explained, debated and signed at the great gathering at Busby's Waitangi home – now the 'Treaty House'. ... Busby also has a claim to fame as our first winemaker.

What is Article 4 of the Treaty of Waitangi?

It is this promise that in recent decades has been called by some the fourth article of the treaty; a commitment to religious freedom made at the birth of the new nation.

Is the Treaty of Waitangi fair?

Colonists believed the Treaty of Waitangi was fair because it offered Māori the rights of British citizens. The signing of the Treaty made it easier for settlers to acquire land. ... Those Pākehā who sided with Māori were known as 'philo-Māori'.

When did New Zealand get freedom?

In this sense, 1947 can be said to mark the date of New Zealand's legal independence.

What do New Zealand celebrate?

Guy Fawkes, Valentine's Day, Saint Patrick's Day and Halloween are celebrated each year in New Zealand.

How much of New Zealand is owned by Māori?

Maori land has been estimated at about 5.6 per cent of New Zealand's total land area of 26.9 million hectares (Table 1).

Is New Zealand stolen land?

The New Zealand land confiscations took place during the 1860s to punish the Kingitanga movement for attempting to set up an alternative, Māori, form of government that forbade the selling of land to European settlers. ... Much of the land that was never occupied by settlers was later sold by the Crown.

How much land is owned by Māori?

There are about 1.47 million hectares of Māori freehold land, which makes up roughly five percent of all land in Aotearoa.