Happy Waitangi Day! The Treaty of Waitangi is a treaty first signed on 6 February 1840, by representatives of the British Crown, and various Maori chiefs from the northern North Island of New Zealand. The Treaty established a British governor in New Zealand, recognised Maori ownership of their lands and different properties, and gave Maori the rights of British subjects. However the English and Maori language versions of the Treaty differ considerably, and therefore there is no consensus as to exactly what was agreed. From the British purpose of view, the Treaty gave Britain sovereignty over New Zealand, and gave the Governor the correct to run the country; Maori seem to have had a range of understandings, many of which conflicted with the British understanding. After the initial signing at Waitangi, copies of the Treaty were taken around New Zealand and over the subsequent months several other chiefs signed.
Until the 1970s, the Treaty was usually ignored by both the courts and parliament, although it had been typically depicted in New Zealand history as a generous and loving act on the half of the Crown. From at least the 1860s, Maori looked to the Treaty, with very little success, for rights and remedies for land loss and unequal treatment by the state. From the late 1960s, Maori began drawing attention to breaches of the Treaty, and subsequent histories have emphasised problems with its translation. In 1975 the Waitangi Tribunal was established as a permanent commission of inquiry tasked with researching breaches of the Treaty by the Crown or its agents, and suggesting suggests that of redress.
Happy Waitangi Day!
ReplyDeleteThe Treaty of Waitangi is a treaty first signed on 6 February 1840, by representatives of the British Crown, and various Maori chiefs from the northern North Island of New Zealand. The Treaty established a British governor in New Zealand, recognised Maori ownership of their lands and different properties, and gave Maori the rights of British subjects. However the English and Maori language versions of the Treaty differ considerably, and therefore there is no consensus as to exactly what was agreed. From the British purpose of view, the Treaty gave Britain sovereignty over New Zealand, and gave the Governor the correct to run the country; Maori seem to have had a range of understandings, many of which conflicted with the British understanding. After the initial signing at Waitangi, copies of the Treaty were taken around New Zealand and over the subsequent months several other chiefs signed.
Until the 1970s, the Treaty was usually ignored by both the courts and parliament, although it had been typically depicted in New Zealand history as a generous and loving act on the half of the Crown. From at least the 1860s, Maori looked to the Treaty, with very little success, for rights and remedies for land loss and unequal treatment by the state. From the late 1960s, Maori began drawing attention to breaches of the Treaty, and subsequent histories have emphasised problems with its translation. In 1975 the Waitangi Tribunal was established as a permanent commission of inquiry tasked with researching breaches of the Treaty by the Crown or its agents, and suggesting suggests that of redress.