treaty of waitangi

Waitangi Day

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  Every year on 6 February, New Zealand marks the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840. For most people, Waitangi Day is a holiday; for many, and especially for Māori, it is a time for reflecting on the Treaty and its place in modern New Zealand.

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• Page 3 – Waitangi Day 1940s-1950s

  From the 1940s the Treaty and Waitangi began to find a place in the national consciousness. For most New Zealanders, they were of historical interest only.

The Treaty in practice

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  Amalgamating Māori into colonial settler society was a key part of British policy in New Zealand after 1840. Economic and social change, along with land-purchase programmes, were central to this process.

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• Page 2 – Slide to war

  War raged in the North Island in the mid-19th century. The period from 1860, when conflict broke out in Taranaki, through to about 1872, is commonly called the New Zealand Wars

• Page 3 – Obtaining land

  How to obtain land for European settlement was always a key issue in New Zealand. With the wars of the 1860s, a new legal system backed up conquest as a means of gaining Māori

• Page 4 – Shared issues and approaches

  Prospects for Māori looked bleak at the beginning of the 20th century. A shared sense of grievance emerged, and new leaders paved the way for new approaches to the Crown.

• Page 5 – Growing interest in the Treaty

  The early 20th century saw new approaches to dealing with Māori grievances and a renewed interest in the Treaty of Waitangi as the nation's founding document.

• Page 6 – The Treaty debated

  Modern New Zealand has debated the Treaty of Waitangi as never before. Understanding, reconciliation, protest and confrontation have been part of this process.

• Page 7 – The Ngāi Tahu claim

  Ngāi Tahu signed a Deed of Settlement with the Crown in 1998. This completed almost 150 years of the tribe's struggle to have the Crown honour its obligations under the Treaty

• Page 9 – Further information

  A selection of further information on the Treaty in practice.

Treaty signatories and signing locations

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  The Treaty of Waitangi was signed on nine separate sheets by more than 500 Māori. Find out more about the sheets, the signatories and the signing locations

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• Page 2 – Ngā tohu – treaty signatories

  When complete, Ngā tohu – treaty signatories will include biographical information on every signatory of the Treaty of Waitangi who can be identified.

• Page 3 – Ngā Wāhi – Treaty Signing Occasions

  The Treaty of Waitangi was first signed on 6 February 1840.

• Page 4 – Making the Treaty of Waitangi

  New Zealand's founding document, the Treaty of Waitangi, was prepared over just a few days in February 1840. Several versions of the treaty were taken around the country for

• Page 5 – Signing the treaty

  By the end of 1840 about 540 Māori, including 13 women, had signed the Treaty of Waitangi; all but 39 signed the Māori text. While some had clear expectations about what their

• Page 6 – Preserving the documents

  The Treaty of Waitangi is currently on display in the He Tohu exhibition at the National Library of New Zealand in Wellington. It has not always been so secure. Water, time and

• Page 7 – Further information

  Further information on the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi.

Treaty timeline

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  See some of the key events between 1800 and 1849 relating to the Treaty of Waitangi.

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• Page 2 – Treaty events 1850-99

  See the key events between 1850 and 1899 relating to the Treaty of Waitangi.

• Page 3 – Treaty events 1900-49

  Discover some of the key events between 1900 and 1949 relating to the Treaty of Waitangi.

• Page 4 – Treaty events since 1950

  Learn about some of the key events from 1950  onwards relating to the Treaty of Waitangi.

• Page 5 – Further information

  Find out more about the Treaty.

Treaty biographies

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  Information about some of the key people who have featured in the story of the Treaty of Waitangi

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• Page 2 – Further information

  Discover more Treaty biographies

The Treaty in brief

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  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 6 February 1840. The Treaty is an agreement, in Māori and English, that was made between the British Crown and about 540 Māori rangatira (chiefs).

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• Page 2 – Treaty FAQs

  Answers to some common questions about the Treaty of Waitangi.

• Page 3 – Further information

  More information, in brief, on the Treaty of Waitangi.

Treaty of Waitangi

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  Activities to determine what students already know about the Treaty of Waitangi

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• Page 1 - Treaty of WaitangiActivities to determine what students already know about the Treaty of Waitangi

Political and constitutional timeline

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  Pivotal political and constitutional events with links to further information

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• Page 1 - Political and constitutional timelinePivotal political and constitutional events with links to further

A history of New Zealand 1769-1914

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  In the period between the first European landings and the First World War, New Zealand was transformed from an exclusively Māori world into one in which Pākehā dominated numerically, politically, socially and economically.

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• Page 1 - History of New Zealand, 1769-1914 In the period between the first European landings and the First World War, New Zealand was transformed from an exclusively Māori world into one in which Pākehā dominated

Read the Treaty

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  Transcript of the English version of the original Treaty of Waitangi document.

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• Page 2 – Māori text

  Transcript of the Māori version of the original Treaty of Waitangi document.

• Page 3 – Differences between the texts

  The Treaty of Waitangi has two texts. The Maori version is not an exact translation of the English, and there are important differences.

• Page 5 – Further information

  Further information on the wording of the Treaty of Waitangi.

History of the Governor-General

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  New Zealand has had a governor or (from 1917) a Governor-General since 1840. The work of these men and women has reflected the constitutional and political history of New Zealand in many ways.

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• Page 3 - Crown colony eraNew Zealand became a British colony in 1840, legitimised by the Treaty of Waitangi and Lieutenant-Governor William Hobson's declaration of 21 May declaring sovereignty over the

Māori King movement origins

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  In May 2008 Māori gathered at Ngāruawāhia to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the formation of the Kīngitanga, or Māori King Movement. The current king, Te Arikinui Tūheitia Paki, was crowned in August 2006 following the death of his mother, Dame Te Atairangikaahu.

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• Page 3 - The land issuePressure to sell land was a key factor in the creation of the Kīngitanga. Before European settlement Māori had no concept of selling land and few chiefs had the authority to

Māori King movement - 1860-94

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  King Tāwhiao's reign was dominated by the Waikato War and the fallout from it.

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• Page 4 - RaupatuUnder the terms of the New Zealand Settlements Act 1863 the government confiscated huge areas of Māori land in late

Network Waitangi Ōtautahi

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• Page 1 - Network Waitangi Ōtautahi

The 1940 Centennial

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  The centennial celebrations of 1940 marked a century of European effort and progress. Māori history and the centenary of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi took a back seat.

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• Page 5 - The Treaty of WaitangiDespite all the talk of the 'birth of a nation', the place of the Treaty of Waitangi or Māori in the centennial celebrations was less

Teaching te Tiriti o Waitangi

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  Te Tiriti/the Treaty has been variously described as a founding document, a sacred covenant and a fraud. It speaks through many voices, past and present. So, what are some ways to teach the history of this document and analyse its ongoing impacts?

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• Page 1 - Teaching Te Tiriti o Waitangi Te Tiriti/the Treaty has been variously described as a founding document, a sacred covenant and a fraud. It speaks through many voices, past and present. So, what are some ways to

Stories in the land field trip

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  Field trips are a fantastic way for students and teachers to develop shared experiences outside of the classroom. This field trip – ‘Stories in the land’ – is run by educator-historian Ricky Prebble and can be adapted for senior and junior students.

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• Page 1 - Stories in the land field tripField trips are a fantastic way for students and teachers to develop shared experiences outside of the classroom. This field trip – ‘Stories in the land’ – is run by

Taming the frontier

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  In 1832 James Busby was appointed as the official British Resident to New Zealand. After arriving in the Bay of Islands in May 1833 he took steps to tame what he saw as a chaotic frontier society.

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• Page 5 – A separate Crown colony

  Protecting Māori, regulating land purchases, controlling the activities of settlers and dealing with the potential influx of migrants underpinned British policy in 1839. New

Links - Treaty of Waitangi

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• Page 1 - Treaty of Waitangi linksLinks and further information about the Treaty of