Te Tiriti o Waitangi 1840

Introduced by Claudia Orange

In 1840, over 500 Māori leaders put their names to a significant new document: Te Tiriti o Waitangi or the Treaty of Waitangi. Through their signatures, moko or marks, they were making an agreement with the British Crown, represented by Consul and Lieutenant-Governor William Hobson. At stake was the sovereignty of the country, the governance of the land.

The meanings of the Treaty of Waitangi have been debated – and disputed – ever since. The text in te reo Māori differs in critical ways from the text in English. The outcome, as iwi and hapū around the country quickly learned, was a threat to their rangatiratanga, or sovereignty.

Today, the Treaty is recognised as a founding document for New Zealand, one that frames discussion about the country's past, present and future. Its impact is seen most powerfully in the Waitangi Tribunal, established in 1975 to investigate Māori claims of Crown breaches and neglect of the Treaty agreements, with ensuing settlements.

The history of this agreement between two peoples made nearly 200 years ago is a remarkable one, told here, in this new edition (first published in 2017), in rich and compelling detail. The nine sheets of the Treaty are shown, with a vivid account of their signing. Names, iwi and hapū are given for the Treaty signatories, along with information about their lives. Drawing on new research, this is a dynamic story about a treaty, its times and the people who made it.

The Treaty of Waitangi/Te Tiriti o Waitangi is the founding document for our country: an agreement signed in good faith by representatives of the British Crown and Māori leaders of most iwi on behalf of their people... I do hope this book is read and enjoyed for its further clarification of this significant kaupapa that belongs to all of us.

– Sir Tumu Te Heuheu VIII, KNZM, Foreword

Dame Claudia Orange is the Practice Leader Research at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, having previously headed the museum’s History and Pacific Cultures section. She was General Editor of the award winning Dictionary of New Zealand Biography and was Acting Chief Historian from 1997 to 2000 in the History Group of the Department of Internal Affairs. From 2002–2003 she was Senior Historian in Te Ara, the online Encyclopedia of New Zealand.