Te Tiriti o Waitangi — He Whakapapa for Our Nation

Te Tiriti o Waitangi (The Treaty of Waitangi) is Aotearoa New Zealand’s founding agreement between Māori rangatira (chiefs and leaders) and the British Crown, first signed on 6 February 1840 at Waitangi in the Bay of Islands, Northland. It was created during a time when more British settlers were arriving and there was growing concern about lawlessness, conflict, and unfair land dealings, so the British government wanted a formal way to establish control and bring in laws, while many Māori rangatira hoped the agreement would protect their people, their whenua (land), and their taonga (treasures), while creating order and stability. Although the first signing happened at Waitangi, Te Tiriti was then taken around the country and signed by over 500 rangatira in many different locations as more iwi and hapū chose to take part. The Crown was represented mainly by Captain William Hobson, and while both Māori and the British entered the agreement with the idea of cooperation, differences between the Māori and English versions later caused major misunderstandings about authority and land. Today, Te Tiriti remains central to Aotearoa’s identity and continues to guide relationships between Māori and the Crown, supporting ongoing work around rights, justice, and partnership.