Treaty Of Waitangi

 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 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 and Māori.

The Treaty promised to protect Māori culture and to enable Māori 

to continue to live in New Zealand as Māori. 

 

At the same time, the Treaty gave the Crown the right to govern 

New Zealand and to represent the interests of all New Zealanders.

While the Treaty is widely seen as a constitutional document, its status

 in New Zealand law is less than settled. At the moment, Treaty rights can 

only be enforced in a court of law when a statute or an Act explicitly refers to the Treaty.

Why is the Treaty Of Waitangi important in New Zealand history?

The Treaty governs the relationship between Māori and everyone else and ensures

 the rights of both Māori and Pakeha are protected. It does that by:

• accepting that Māori Tribes have the right to organize themselves, protect their 
• way of life, and to control the resources they own
• requiring the Government to act reasonably and in good faith towards Māori
• making the Government responsible for helping to address grievances
• establishing equality and the principle that all New Zealanders are equal
•  under the law.

Extra Facts:

Treaty in action:

The Treaty of Waitangi is New Zealand's founding document.

The principles of the Treaty are referred to in several Acts of Parliament. 

It is an important part of the New Zealand education system and how New Zealanders work.

Applying the Treaty influences life in New Zealand in many ways.

Parliament

Māori representation in Parliament is guaranteed with reserved seats - currently, there are seven.

 Many Māori is also Members of Parliament via ‘general’ electorates.

Waitangi Tribunal

There is a Waitangi Tribunal that researches and makes legal decisions on 

cases where Māori land and other resources were taken illegally or unfairly in the past. 

Quite often this results in large settlements for tribes, including cash and land.

Many iwis are putting these settlements to good use building major commercial enterprises - often 

becoming important employers in the process.

Some Waitangi Tribunal settlements do not only benefit Māori. For example, a lot of work 

has been done to restore Auckland’s western harbor from waste and sewage despoliation after 

Māori living in the area lodged what is known as the Manukau claim.