What is Te Tiriti o Waitangi? A clear explanation
Te Tiriti o Waitangi is one of the most important documents in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Before Te Tiriti
Māori discovered Aotearoa, Moriori discovered Rēkohu (Chatham Isalnds). For the longest period in the history of this country they exercised complete authority (tino rangatiratanga) over their lands, resources, and communities.
Why Te Tiriti was created
By 1840 others had arrived in Aotearoa, and:
The British Crown wanted the ability to buy land
Some British settlers were misbehaving
Britain had already recognised Māori authority in He Whakaputanga (1835)
The Crown’s representatives spoke with rangatira (Māori chiefs) about an agreement:
The Crown would control British settlers
Māori would keep tino rangatiratanga
The Crown would have the right of pre-emption (sole right to buy land if Māori chose to sell)
These agreed terms were written in te reo Māori in Te Tiriti which was first signed at Waitangi in the Bay of Islands: Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
What Te Tiriti says (in simple terms)
Te Tiriti is set out in three articles:
Article One – Kawanatanga
The Crown would govern its own people (British settlers)
Article Two – Tino Rangatiratanga
Māori would retain full authority over their lands, resources, and way of life
If Māori chose to sell land, they would sell to the Crown
Article Three – Citizenship
Māori would have the same protection as British citizens
The Treaty (in English) was different
A second document was written in English: the Treaty of Waitangi which mentioned sovereignty, the power to make laws over everyone, including Māori. This was not discussed or agreed with rangatira.
What happened next
The Crown/government of Aotearoa did not keep the agreements in Te Tiriti, instead claiming sovereignty and making laws over everyone including Māori. The government of Aotearoa has:
made policies and laws separating Māori from nearly 97% of their land, causing poverty that is ongoing today
made harmful laws over Māori
used those laws to imprison large numbers of Māori people and take large numbers of Māori children from their families
Why Te Tiriti still matters today
Te Tiriti is not just history. Understanding Te Tiriti helps us:
understand our history AND
understand current issues (for example poverty, health inequity, prison populations and removal of children from their families are overwhelmingly influenced by the breaking of promises in te Tiriti o Waitangi by the government of Aotearoa).
The agreements in te Tiriti:
Māori keep their authority (tino rangatiratanga)
The Crown looks after those who came later (kāwanatanga)
An equal partnership to negotiate how tino rangatiratanga and kāwanatanga can co-exist in harmony.
provide a vision for a more balanced future where everyone in Aotearoa can thrive.
Want to understand Te Tiriti more deeply?
If you’d like a clear, structured way to build your understanding, Te Tiriti Online is a self-paced course designed for beginners and organisations across Aotearoa.
It includes:
9 short video modules
simple explanations of what was agreed
quizzes and reflection
a certificate of completion
Learn more here: Te Tiriti Online
Other resources
A 30 page handbook Understanding Te Tiriti
A short book on the impact on Māori health Understanding Hauora
In person workshops with Roimata Smail