Treaty of Waitangi
Consequences and Misunderstandings
Signing of the Treaty
On the 6th of February 1840, the Treaty of Waitangi was signed to signify an agreement between the British and the Maori. Due to William Williams mistranslation of the Maori language, it created misunderstandings and confusion on how the Treaty should be interpreted.
The First Article
The English version of the first article states the word 'sovereignty' implying that the British Crown would have full authority of New Zealand. However, when the agreement was spoken to the Maori, they use the word Kawanatanga, a non existent word in the Maori language that had the meaning governorship, implying that the Maori chiefs still kept control.
The Second Article
The Maori believed they have the right to rule and make decisions about their Taonga (forests, food, land, treasure) but the English had assumed that Taonga only meant property and possessions. The Europeans believed that the Crown had the sole right to buy land and set the price but the Maori had presumed that the British only had the right to deny land being sold to them and the Maori may choose who to sell the land to.
The Third Article
The Maori presumed that the Third article states that the British would aid them and settle conflicts and crime caused by the British settlers. However, the British believed that the last article gives them permission to being all their social systems from England as New Zealand was now a British Colony.
Problems
-There are many versions of the Treaty of Waitangi therefore making the whole signing unclear and ambiguous.
-The Maori version does not match accurately any of the 5 English versions.
-The chiefs of some tribes such as Potatau Te Wherowhero, did not sing the treaty therefore making the Treaty non-applicable to the Waikato tribes.
-The Government had added the Principles which the Maori argues today that their ancestors had never signed the Principles therefore making it invalid.