The Treaty Of Waitangi

The Treaty Of Waitangi was signed in 1840 by 500 Maori chiefs and the British crown in Waitangi. The British wanted the land and the mana (authority). There was some confusion and mixed motives about the meaning of the Treaty and why they were signing it. The Maori people believed that the talk was more important than signing their names on paper. After the treaty was signed there were lots of immigrants arriving on ships from around the world. They wanted power and land. The Maori who were defending their land were seen as rebels.

These are some ways the British crown dishonored and committed group sin against the Maori and the Treaty. The government sent British troops to the King Country to take the land by force. The British confiscated all of the South Island and the King Country which was ⅕ of the North Island. The British didn’t have trials for prisoners which resulted in many unjust executions and detentions. The British failed to preserve enough land for Maori and they took the maori land for public works and private ownership.

New Zealanders can restore tika and pono by learning about the Treaty of Waitangi and encouraging others to do the same. We can also speak more Te Reo so the Maori language we can respect the Maori heritage.

By Mikayla