Te Tiriti o Waitangi is the agreement between the Crown and Māori that was signed on 6 February 1840 by 40 rangatira and Captain Hobson at Waitangi. This document recognised the sovereignty of Māori over Aotearoa and allowed for peaceful acquisition of land that Māori were willing to make available.

The Treaty also endeavoured to ease tension over the the rising numbers of Pākehā in Aotearoa and the Crown’s effectiveness in exercising control over British subjects in the country by guaranteeing British governorship over Pākehā.

The two separate texts that comprised the Treaty, the Māori version and the English version, left each signing party with a different understanding of the terms being agreed upon. Despite this, Māori were led to believe that the Treaty they signed was accurate and that the English translation mirrored what they had agreed to.

Learn more about Te Tiriti o Waitangi through the wide range of resources available at Te Tumu Herenga.

Resources to explore this Waitangi Day

• Te Ao Māori: Te Tiriti o Waitangi Subject guide
• View our TV and Radio playlist
• Browse the Catalogue

References

Mulholland, Malcolm, and Veronica Tawhai. Weeping Waters : The Treaty of Waitangi and Constitutional Change. Ed. Malcolm Mulholland and Veronica Tawhai. Huia Publishers, 2017. Print.

Feature image: Still from Waitangi 2022, Māori Television Sunday 6 February 2022.