This mihi is a greeting to the people, marae, rūnanga and guardians of our Māori heritage throughout Aotearoa New Zealand.
Sir John Clarke KNZM CNZM. Former Chair of the Māori Heritage Council and Deputy Chair of the Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga Board.
Many hands to the wheel
For us and our children after us, Ngāi Tahu
As the incoming Chair of the Māori Heritage Council, I mihi to my predecessor Sir John Clarke in acknowledgement of his leadership and contribution to the preservation and protection of Māori heritage. Indeed, I acknowledge all who endeavour and have contributed to the recognition and protection of ngā taonga tuku iho, the treasures from here, of this treasured land.
Heirlooms and places connect whānau, hapū and iwi to their tūpuna, to their past and to associated values, informing the pathway forward and enriching te ao Māori, central to New Zealand’s unique identity.
Commemorating the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi at this time of the year, gives effect to the spirit of the Treaty, an everyday occurrence across the motu, at places in accord with kaitiakitanga (guardianship).
For Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga, the Treaty of Waitangi is central to our mahi and importantly helps define our national identity and its many layers of history with integrity.
I trust one and all enjoy our National Day, a time many will take as an opportunity to celebrate and reflect on our journey as a nation here in the South Pacific, he waka eke noa (we are all in this together).
Image Credit: Mike Heydon
Ko te toa i a tini, i a mano o te takata
Mō tatou, ā, mō kā uri ā muri ake nei
Ko ahau tēnei te Toihau hou o Te Kaunihera Māori o te Pouhere Taonga, ka tuku aku mihi ki te Toihau tōmua ko Tā John Clarke, ka mihia tana hautūtaka, tana tāpaetaka ki te rokiroki, ki te whakauka o kā tukuka ihotaka Māori. Koia, ka aumihia te katoa, nā rātau ō rātau kaha i whakapau, ō rātau werawera i whakaheke kia hōrapa te mōhio, ā, kia haumaru hoki te noho o kā taoka tuku iho, kā taoka nō konei ake, nō tēnei whenua taurikura.
Ko kā kura ko tukuna ihotia me kā wāhi tapu ka noho hai pou here i te whānau, te haapū me te iwi ki ō rātau tīpuna, ki ō rātau tāhuhu kōrero, ā, ki kā uara hoki nō taua wā. Ka aratakina ki te ara whakamua, ā, ka whakahaumakotia te ao Māori, ka noho tou hai poutokomanawa mō te tuakiri tūhāhā rānō o Aotearoa whānui.
I tēnei wā o te tau, i te hokika o ō tātau mahara ki te waitohutaka mai o Te Tiriti o Waitangi, ko te whakatinanataka o te wairua o Te Tiriti tētahi mahi o te ia rā puta noa i te motu, ki kā wāhi e hākai atu ki te kaitiakitaka, ā, e arahina ana e kā whaitua ture, e te whaitua tōrakapū hoki o tēnei whenua.
Ki a mātau o Te Pouhere Taoka, ko Te Tiriti o Waitangi te iho, te pūmanawa o ā mātau mahi, ā, mātua tana amo hāpono ki te tūtohu i te tuakiri o tō tātau whenua, ā, ki te whakapapa anō hoki o ōhona tāhuhu kōrero.
Ko tāhaku e manako nei, ka manawa rekatia tō tātau Raki Motuhake e te katoa, he wā ka whakanuia, ā, ka huritao hoki e te tini, tō tātau whakapakari hai whenua o te ao ki konei, ki Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa, he waka eke noa.
Acknowledgements
We sincerely thank the National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa for their invaluable contribution to this booklet. A mutual commitment to preserving and sharing our nation's history has played an essential role in bringing this project to life.
Published by Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga, in association with the National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa
An online version is available at www.heritage.org.nz
ISBN 978-1-877563-59-1 (print)
ISBN 978-1-877563-60-7 (online)
Cover: Wikitoria Makiha welcomes in the waka Kaitoki (left) and Ngātokimatawhaorua (right) at the 180th anniversary of the arrival of many waka at Māngungu for the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi on 12 February 1840.
Image Credit: Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga.
of the Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga Board.
Te Tiriti o Waitangi
Te Tiriti o Waitangi is recognised as our nation’s founding document. A treaty of agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Within a few days it was drawn up and translated, then debated and first signed on 6 February 1840 at Waitangi.
Te Tiriti o Waitangi i te Reo Māori 1840
In the Māori text, Queen Victoria promised to provide a government and to secure tribal rangatiratanga (chiefly autonomy or authority over their own area) and to secure Māori ownership of their land for as long as they wished to retain it.
Ko Wikitoria te Kuini o Ingarani i tana mahara atawai ki nga Rangatira me nga Hapu o Nu Tirani i tana hiahia hoki kia tohungia ki a ratou o ratou rangatiratanga me to ratou wenua, a kia mau tonu hoki te Rongo ki a ratou me te Atanoho hoki kua wakaaro ia he mea tika kia tukua mai tetahi Rangatira – hei kai wakarite ki nga Tangata maori o Nu Tirani – kia wakaaetia e nga Rangatira Maori te Kawanatanga o te Kuini ki nga wahi katoa o te wenua nei me nga motu – na te mea hoki he tokomaha ke nga tangata o tona Iwi Kua noho ki tenei wenua, a e haere mai nei.
Na ko te Kuini e hiahia ana kia wakaritea te Kawanatanga kia kaua ai nga kino e puta mai ki te tangata Maori ki te Pakeha e noho ture kore ana.
Na kua pai te Kuini kia tukua a hau a Wiremu Hopihona he Kapitana i te Roiara Nawi hei Kawana mo nga wahi katoa o Nu Tirani e tukua aianei amua atu ki te Kuini, e mea atu ana ia ki nga Rangatira o te wakaminenga o nga hapu o Nu Tirani me era Rangatira atu enei ture ka korerotia nei.
Ko te Tuatahi
Ko nga Rangatira o te wakaminenga me nga Rangatira katoa hoki ki hai i uru ki taua wakaminenga ka tuku rawa atu ki te Kuini o Ingarani ake tonu atu – te Kawanatanga katoa o o ratou wenua.
Ko te Tuarua
Ko te Kuini o Ingarani ka wakarite ka wakaae ki nga Rangatira ki nga hapu – ki nga tangata katoa o Nu Tirani te tino rangatiratanga o o ratou wenua o ratou kainga me o ratou taonga katoa. Otiia ko nga Rangatira o te wakaminenga me nga Rangatira katoa atu ka tuku ki te Kuini te hokonga o era wahi wenua e pai ai te tangata nona te wenua – ki te ritenga o te utu e wakaritea ai e ratou ko te kai hoko e meatia nei te Kuini hei kai hoko mona.
Ko te Tuatoru
Hei wakaritenga mai hoki tenei mo te wakaaetenga ki te Kawanatanga o te Kuini – Ka tiakina e te Kuini o Ingarani nga tangata maori katoa o Nu Tirani ka tukua ki a ratou nga tikanga katoa rite tahi ki ana mea ki nga tangata o Ingarani.
W. Hobson Consul & Lieutenant-Governor
Na ko matou ko nga Rangatira o te Wakaminenga o nga hapu o Nu Tirani ka huihui nei ki Waitangi ko matou hoki ko nga Rangatira o Nu Tirani ka kite nei i te ritenga o enei kupu, ka tangohia ka wakaaetia katoatia e matou, koia ka tohungia ai o matou ingoa o matou tohu. Ka meatia tenei ki Waitangi i te ono o nga ra o Pepueri i te tau kotahi mano, e waru rau e wa te kau o to tatou Ariki.
English text 1840
In the English version text, the British intentions were to protect Māori interests from encroaching British settlement, provide for British settlement and establish a government to maintain peace and order.
Her Majesty Victoria Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland regarding with Her Royal Favor the Native Chiefs and Tribes of New Zealand and anxious to protect their just Rights and Property and to secure to them the enjoyment of Peace and Good Order has deemed it necessary in consequence of the great number of Her Majesty's Subjects who have already settled in New Zealand and the rapid extension of Emigration both from Europe and Australia which is still in progress to constitute and appoint a functionary properly authorized to treat with the Aborigines of New Zealand for the recognition of Her Majesty's Sovereign authority over the whole or any part of those islands – Her Majesty therefore being desirous to establish a settled form of Civil Government with a view to avert the evil consequences which must result from the absence of the necessary Laws and Institutions alike to the native population and to Her subjects has been graciously pleased to empower and to authorize me William Hobson a Captain in Her Majesty's Royal Navy Consul and Lieutenant-Governor of such parts of New Zealand as may be or hereafter shall be ceded to her Majesty to invite the confederated and independent Chiefs of New Zealand to concur in the following Articles and Conditions.
Article the first [Article 1]
The Chiefs of the Confederation of the United Tribes of New Zealand and the separate and independent Chiefs who have not become members of the Confederation cede to Her Majesty the Queen of England absolutely and without reservation all the rights and powers of Sovereignty which the said Confederation or Individual Chiefs respectively exercise or possess, or may be supposed to exercise or to possess over their respective Territories as the sole sovereigns thereof.
“The Treaty promised to protect Māori culture and to enable Māori to continue to live in New Zealand as Māori. At the same time, the Treaty gave the Crown the right to govern New Zealand and to represent the interests of all New Zealanders.”
Her Majesty the Queen of England confirms and guarantees to the Chiefs and Tribes of New Zealand and to the respective families and individuals thereof the full exclusive and undisturbed possession of their Lands and Estates Forests Fisheries and other properties which they may collectively or individually possess so long as it is their wish and desire to retain the same in their possession; but the Chiefs of the United Tribes and the individual Chiefs yield to Her Majesty the exclusive right of Preemption over such lands as the proprietors thereof may be disposed to alienate at such prices as may be agreed upon between the respective Proprietors and persons appointed by Her Majesty to treat with them in that behalf.
Article the third [Article 3]
In consideration thereof Her Majesty the Queen of England extends to the Natives of New Zealand Her royal protection and imparts to them all the Rights and Privileges of British Subjects.
(signed) William Hobson, Lieutenant-Governor.
Now therefore We the Chiefs of the Confederation of the United Tribes of New Zealand being assembled in Congress at Victoria in Waitangi and We the Separate and Independent Chiefs of New Zealand claiming authority over the Tribes and Territories which are specified after our respective names, having been made fully to understand the Provisions of the foregoing Treaty, accept and enter into the same in the full spirit and meaning thereof in witness of which we have attached our signatures or marks at the places and the dates respectively specified. Done at Waitangi this Sixth day of February in the year of Our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty.
This translation of the te reo Māori version of the Treaty was written by former Tribunal member Professor Sir Hugh Kawharu and published in 1989.The translation sets out to show how Māori would have understood the meaning of the text they signed. It was published in the book Waitangi Revisited: Perspectives on the Treaty of Waitangi, edited by Michael Belgrave, Merata Kawharu and David Williams (Oxford University Press, 1989).
Victoria, the Queen of England, in her concern to protect the chiefs and the subtribes of New Zealand and in her desire to preserve their chieftainship and their lands to them and to maintain peace and good order considers it just to appoint an administrator one who will negotiate with the people of New Zealand to the end that their chiefs will agree to the Queen's Government being established over all parts of this land and (adjoining) islands and also because there are many of her subjects already living on this land and others yet to come.
So the Queen desires to establish a government so that no evil will come to Māori and European living in a state of lawlessness.
So the Queen has appointed me, William Hobson, a Captain in the Royal Navy to be Governor for all parts of New Zealand (both those) shortly to be received by the Queen and (those) to be received hereafter and presents to the chiefs of the Confederation chiefs of the subtribes of New Zealand and other chiefs these laws set out here.
The First
The Chiefs of the Confederation and all the Chiefs who have not joined that Confederation give absolutely to the Queen of England forever the complete government over their land.
The Second
The Queen of England agrees to protect the chiefs, the subtribes and all the people of New Zealand in the unqualified exercise of their chieftainship over their lands, villages and all their treasures. But on the other hand the Chiefs of the Confederation and all the Chiefs will sell land to the Queen at a price agreed to by the person owning it and by the person buying it (the latter being) appointed by the Queen as her purchase agent.
The Third
For this agreed arrangement therefore concerning the Government of the Queen, the Queen of England will protect all the ordinary people of New Zealand and will give them the same rights and duties of citizenship as the people of England.
W. Hobson Consul & Lieutenant-Governor
So we, the Chiefs of the Confederation and of the subtribes of New Zealand meeting here at Waitangi having seen the shape of these words which we accept and agree to record our names and our marks thus.
Was done at Waitangi on the sixth of February in the year of our Lord 1840.
Image Credit: Waitangi Treaty Grounds Image Library Image Credit: Mark Russell
Pathway to Nationhood
1808
Te Whakaminenga, the Confederation of United Tribes
Northern leaders began meeting perhaps from about 1808 in formal assembly to discuss matters of common concern around trade and the increasing presence of foreigners. These formal gatherings continued and were later supported by some other key leaders from around Te Ika a Māui (North Island). It is likely that there were also connections to leaders in Te Waipounamu, (South Island).
1834
Te Kara
Trade with New South Wales had been underway for some time when, in 1830 a Hokianga-built trading vessel, the Sir George Murray, was seized in Sydney for not displaying a flag. Te Whakaminenga met, along with British official James Busby and in 1834 selected a design thereafter known as Te Kara o Te Whakaminenga o Nga Hapu o Nu Tireni – The Flag of the United Tribes of New Zealand.
(The Waitangi flagstaff marks the approximate spot where Te Tiriti o Waitangi was signed on 6 February 1840. Here, the three flags that fly are Te Kara, the Union Flag and the New Zealand flag.)
‘He Wakaputanga o te Rangatiratanga o Nu Tireni’ or ‘The Declaration of Independence of the United Tribes of New Zealand’ was drafted up and first signed on 28 October 1835 at the home of James Busby in Waitangi. The handwritten document consisting of four articles became a foundation for the assertion of indigenous rights. It declared that mana (authority) and sovereign power in New Zealand resided fully with Māori, and that foreigners would not be allowed to make laws. That Te Whakaminenga would meet at Waitangi each autumn to frame laws, and in return for their protection of British subjects in their territory, they sought King William’s protection against threats to their mana. They also thanked the King for acknowledging Te Kara. 1835
Te Kara o Te Whakaminenga o Ngā Hapu o Niu Tireni (original design)
Did women sign the Treaty?
Our history records that British Crown representatives and over 500 Māori rangatira (chiefs) signed the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840. While there is some evidence that the British discouraged rangatira who were women from signing, it did not stop them.
Overall, we know little about the people behind the names. Historians have determined that up to 18 Māori women have been identified, 10 certainly, six likely, and another two possibly. Their signatures or marks appear on three of the nine sheets being Waitangi, Raukawa-Moana Cook Strait and Waikato-Manukau.
‘We know little about the people behind the names.’
Takurua
Signed the Waitangi sheet probably in the Bay of Islands in 1840. Ngāpuhi of Ngāti Korokoro and Ngāti Rangi hapū. Married to Te Tai who also signed but at an earlier date.
Ana Hamu
Signed the Treaty at Waitangi on 6 February 1840. Likely Ngāpuhi. Married to Te Koki who also signed the same day. It was Ana Hamu who gifted land at Paihia for the missionary station which was built in 1823.
Te Mārama
Signed the Waitangi sheet at Kaitaia on 28 April 1840. Likely Ngāpuhi.
1840
Te Tiriti
The Treaty of Waitangi is New Zealand’s founding document, an agreement between Māori and the British Crown. This agreement was roughly drawn up in English by naval captain William Hobson, then revised by James Busby, a Crown representative, and translated into Māori by missionary Henry Williams and his son Edward. Te Tiriti was vigorously debated and then signed for the first time on the front lawn of Busby’s house at Waitangi on 6 February 1840. This document was known as the Waitangi Sheet and other copies known as sheets, then began their journeys around the country. By the end of the year around 500 rangatira, men and women, had signed. Most signatures were on Te Reo Māori sheets.
1893
Te Kotahitanga Parliament
The culmination of a series of Māori Kotahitanga (unity) movements which evolved from a desire for Māori to control their lands and manage their own affairs. On 18 May 1893 the Speaker of the lower house of the Kotahitanga parliament introduced a motion from Meri Mangakāhia, requesting that women be given the right to participate in the selection of members, later that day she addressed the parliament, as the first woman recorded to have done so, requesting that Māori women be given the right to vote, and to sit in the Māori parliament.
1893
Suffrage Petition
The privilege of voting was not extended to everyone, and it was not until 1893 that the hard-fought women’s suffrage petition, with almost 32,000 signatures was presented to parliament. Kate Sheppard was at the forefront of the campaign, holding public meetings across the country, writing to newspapers and lobbying against fierce opposition. On 19 September New Zealand became the first selfgoverning nation in the world where women had gained the legal right to vote.
Miria Simpson QSM, Maori & English language expert, (former) Maori Language Commissioner.
The voyages of Te Tiriti o Waitangi
6 February 1840 – 3 September 1840
Waitangi | 240 Signatures
Te Tiriti as first signed at Waitangi on 6 February 1840. It was then taken around the Bay of Islands and Hokianga before being taken further afield. An estimated 240 Māori signed this copy, which is in Māori.
Waikato–Printed | 5 Signatures
The Waikato copy is the only surviving printed copy of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. It was one of 200 copies of the Māori text printed in Paihia on 17 February 1840. This copy is most likely an addition to the WaikatoManukau copy, and likely signed at Whāingaroa (Raglan) in late March or early April 1840 by five chiefs
Waikato-Manukau | 39 Signatures
There are 39 signatories on what appears to be the only copy of Te Tiriti in English. It was signed between March and April 1840 by chiefs mainly from the lower Waikato region, with seven names added at Manukau Harbour.
Bay of Plenty | 26 Signatures
This Māori language copy has 26 names. They were collected between 22 May and 19 June 1840 at Opotiki, Te Kaha, Tōrere and Whakatāne.
Manukau-Kāwhia | 13 Signatures
This copy, in Māori, features 13 signatures collected between March and September 1840 around and south of Manukau Harbour.
Reference for map locations and text with gratitude: nzhistory.govt.nz
Te Tiriti o Waitangi | The Treaty of Waitangi was signed on nine separate copies by more than 500 rangatira.
Tauranga | 21 Signatures
This copy was signed at Tauranga by 21 chiefs on a Māori language copy in April and May 1840.
Tūranga (Gisborne) | 41 Signatures
Between May and June 1840, 41 chiefs between the East Coast and Ahuriri (Napier) signed this handwritten Māori language copy.
Henry Williams | 132 Signatures
Henry Williams, who had translated te Tiriti o Waitangi into Māori, acquired 132 signatures between April and June 1840 from chiefs at Port Nicholson (Wellington), Queen Charlotte Sound, Rangitoto, Kāpiti, Ōtaki, Tāwhirihoe, Manawatū, Waikanae, Whanganui and Motungarara. This copy was in Te reo. Māori.
Herald-Bunbury | 27 Signatures
Between May and June 1840 Major Thomas Bunbury sailed around New Zealand, gaining 27 signatures on this Māori language copy. Te Tiriti was signed as far south as Ruapuke Island in Foveaux Strait.
Whangarei
Auckland
Tauranga
Gisborne
Napier
Wellington
Christchurch
Dunedin
Invercargill
He whakapapa kōrero, he whenua kura –Talking about our past to make a better future
1835 He Whakaputanga o te Rangatiratanga o Nu Tireni –Declaration of Independence of the United Tribes of New Zealand
1840 Te Tiriti o Waitangi – Treaty of Waitangi
1893 Women’s Suffrage Petition – Te Petihana Whakamana
Pōti Wahine
The He Tohu exhibition is presented by Archives New Zealand Te Ruā Mahara o Te Kāwanatanga and the National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, which are part of the Department of Internal Affairs
St Mary’s College (Wellington) students viewing the original Waitangi sheet of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Photographer: Mark Beatty
History where it happened
Pompallier
Mission & Printery
5 The Strand (on the waterfront), Kororāreka Russell, Pēwhairangi Bay of Islands
Bishop Jean-Baptiste Pompallier created quite a stir in his purple ecclesiastical robes when he arrived at the signing of Te Tiriti at Waitangi on 6 February 1840. During proceedings, Pompallier asked Lieutenant-Governor Hobson for his promise to protect religious freedom for the Catholic faith. The result was the request pledge known as the ‘Fourth Article’ of Te Tiriti recognising Western religions as well as Māori customary beliefs. Learn more about Pompallier’s extraordinary story on a fun, hands-on guided tour of his mission headquarters and printery at Russell.
married Allan
the wealthy landowner of Alberton in Auckland that became well-known for its social gatherings. In 1892, Sophia joined the women’s suffrage movement as a founding member of the Auckland branch of the Women’s Franchise League. She gave strong and witty speeches advocating for women’s voting rights, arguing that women deserved the vote because they were subject to the same laws and taxes as men. Her eldest daughter Winnifred signed the Petition too. Sophia was also connected to the Women’s Christian Temperance Union, likely focused on franchise not prohibition. She remained politically active on various issues until the end of World War I.
He Tohu at the National Library
70 Molesworth Street, Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington
He Tohu is a permanent exhibition presented by Archives New Zealand Te Ruā Mahara o Te Kāwanatanga and the National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, of three iconic constitutional documents that shape Aotearoa New Zealand including Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Visit and learn about New Zealand’s histories, the journeys these documents have taken, and what they mean for us now.
Site of the first Te Tiriti signing
Waitangi Treaty Grounds is one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s greatest national symbols. Known to Ngāpuhi as a place of ancestral significance where chiefs gathered to discuss common interests, Waitangi is where He Whakaputanga o Te Rangatiratanga o Nu Tīreni, the Declaration of Independence of New Zealand and Te Tiriti o Waitangi/The Treaty of Waitangi were signed. It remains a crucial location for exploring ideas of nationhood and national identity, serving as a direct connection to the goals of Te Tiriti/The Treaty. For both Māori and Pākehā, Waitangi is considered a vital symbol of the nation's origins and ongoing development.
House
14 Parnell Street, Rawene, Hokianga
James Reddy Clendon might be cheekily considered the Forrest Gump of Aotearoa, turning up at significant events of the early 1800s. He had close ties with Ngāpuhi chief Pōmare II and witnessed the rangatira’s signature on both He Whakaputunga and Te Tiriti before signing himself as a Crown witness. Clendon, the first US consul to New Zealand, later relocated to Rawene with his Ngāpuhi wife, Jane. The Clendon Papers Collection, a UNESCO Aotearoa New Zealand Memory of the World, offers insights into his life, achievements, family, and connection to Te Ao Māori at this important site.
Clendon
Image Credit: Jess Burges
1 Tau Henare Drive, Waitangi, Pēwhairangi Bay of Islands
Alberton | Sophia Kerr Taylor (1847-1930), socialite suffragette
Image Credit :Mike Heydon
Image Credit: National Library of New Zealand
In 1908, Te Tiriti was discovered in the basement of Old Government Buildings by historian Thomas Hocken. The sheets were in poor condition, with water damage and rat-chewed edges. In 1913, efforts were made to repair the documents, but suitable materials couldn’t be found, and later attempts caused even more harm — leaving stains, hardening the parchment, and peeling layers apart. Despite warnings after the 1931 Hawke’s Bay earthquake to move important documents away from fault lines, Te Tiriti remained at Old Government Buildings. In 1940, it travelled by train to Waitangi for display and spent part of World War II in Masterton. Since 1957, Te Tiriti has been cared for by the National Archives and is now displayed at the He Tohu Exhibition, five mins walk from Old Government Buildings.
Māngungu Mission
Te Waimate Mission
344 Te Ahu Ahu Road, Waimate North
Waimate North township in the Bay of Islands was a thriving settlement leading into the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Hundreds of Pākeha and thousands of Māori had made this their base for trade, farming and industry. After Te Tiriti was first signed at Waitangi on 6 February, it travelled around the Bay of Islands, arriving at Te Waimate Mission on 9 February 1840 where it stayed overnight with Hobson. Whilst just six Ngāpuhi rangatira signed here on the 9th and 10th at Te Waimate, it is one of the most significant signing sites. Take a closer look at Te Waimate Mission, explore the names and stories of the signatories and what they would have experienced at the time.
Kerikeri Mission Station (Stone Store & Kemp House)
246 Kerikeri Road, Kerikeri, Part of Kororipo Heritage Park
Eruera Pare Hongi, a pupil at Kerikeri Mission Station, wrote the first known letter in Te Reo Māori independently at age ten in 1825. He continued corresponding with the Crown, eventually writing the Māori text of He Whakaputanga o te Rangitiratanga o Nu Tirene. Rongo Hongi, known for her letter campaign to the Governors of New Zealand about Ngāpuhi under Te Tiriti, had ties to Kerikeri Mission Station and the Kemps. She married Hone Heke at the Kerikeri Mission Chapel in 1837 after attending the Girls School there. Explore these properties linked to historical Māori figures to learn more about Māori-Crown correspondence in the 1830s and 1840s.
Site of the largest Te Tiriti signing
After the signing at Te Waimate Mission, Te Tiriti o Waitangi went to Māngungu Mission where thousands of Ngāpuhi hapū gathered on 12 February 1840. This event sparked significant debate due to the document being so recently drafted. The annual commemoration of this gathering and signing on February 12th remains important, reflecting the strong connection to ancestors at this site and still sparking debate. It provides insights into the history and significance of the Mission building (itself a travelled building), the land it occupies, and the implications of the gathering for both Māori and Pākehā in Aotearoa.
Te Whare Waiutuutu Kate Sheppard House
83 Clyde Road, Ōtautahi Christchurch
Te Whare Waiutuutu Kate Sheppard House in Ōtautahi Christchurch was home to suffrage leader Kate Sheppard from 1888 to 1902. From this domestic workplace, Sheppard led the Women’s Christian Temperance Union’s suffrage campaign. Collaborating with suffragists and politicians, she organised three national petitions, including the iconic 1893 petition signed by nearly a quarter of all women over 21. Her efforts secured the women’s vote on 19 September 1893, making Aotearoa the first country to enfranchise all women, regardless of race, class, or creed. Now restored and open to the public, the house honours Sheppard’s legacy, values, and the global impact of New Zealand’s suffrage movement.
The value of Māori heritage to Aotearoa New Zealand
Māori heritage is foundational and central to all New Zealand heritage. Māori heritage has largely been underestimated and undervalued by wider society. For Māori communities, it is a precious heirloom to be preserved and protected.
We believe that Māori heritage is of value both to Māori and to New Zealand as a whole. We wish to replace the sense of isolation of Māori heritage as a sideline of the nation’s life, culture and consciousness with an understanding of its value to Aotearoa New Zealand overall.
Sir Apirana Ngata offered the following statement about Māori heritage:
An heirloom, a treasure of true value.
These are the significant aspects of our Māoritanga. They are the treasures from here, of this treasured land, An ancestral treasure to pass on to our children.
Māori heritage is central to New Zealand’s unique identity. It is New Zealand’s earliest heritage. The ‘footprint’ of iwi and hapū life and culture since the first arrivals in Aotearoa some 800 years ago is substantial and touches all parts of our country.
Māori heritage is imbued with mana and spirituality that endure through generations. It lives on through relationships of people and place.
Apirana Ngata
Te wāriu o te Pouhere Taonga ki Aotearoa
Kei te ihu o ngā Pouhere katoa o Aotearoa ko te Pouhere Māori. Ki te hapori whānui ake, kua kore noa iho he take, he wāriu hoki o te Pouhere Māori. Ēngari ki ngā hapori Māori he taonga hei pupuri, hei tiaki.
Ki te Kaunihera Māori he wāriu tō te Pouhere Māori, toro atu ai ki Ngā Māori me ngā iwi katoa o Aotearoa. Kei te hiahia te Kaunihera, kia wetea te tū mokemoke o te pouhere Māori, ā, ka whakatuwhera I ōna painga me tōna wāriu ki Aotearoa whānui.
Anei ngā whakamārama a Tā Apirana Ngata:
He taonga tuku iho, he taonga pūmau.
Ko ngā tikanga whai hua o tō tātou Māoritanga.
Ko ngā mea nō konei, nō tēnei whenua kura
He taonga tuku iho ki ā tātou tamariki.
Ko te ngako o te motuhake o Aotearoa i ētahi atu whenua ko te pouhere taonga Māori. Ko te pouhere taonga Māori te mātāmua o ngā pouhere taonga katoa o Aotearoa. He tino nui ngā painga ka puta mai i te ringa; mai i ngā tapuwae o ngā iwi me te noho a ngā hapū i raro i te maru o ā rātou tikanga; mai i tā rātou taenga mai ki Aotearoa i ngā tau 800 kua hipa atu nei. I pā tēnei āhuatanga ki ngā tāngata o ngā tōpito katoa o te motu.
Born in 1874 in Kawaka, Te Araroa, he was a diligent and able student of tikanga Māori. He progressed his education through Te Aute College and the University of Canterbury achieving degrees in political science and law. Ngata worked tirelessly for the people of Ngāti Porou and used his knowledge, charm and persistence to make extensive changes to Māori land use through development and reform.
He was a skilled speaker and gifted debater known to fill parliamentary galleries when he spoke. Ngata held the seat for Eastern Māori for almost four decades, from 1905 until 1943. A dedicated supporter of the arts, he used his influence around Aotearoa to encourage and promote all forms of Māori art. In recognition of his many and varied services to Māori he was knighted in 1927. In 1940 he helped to organise the celebrations that would mark 100 years since the signing of the Treaty.
Dame Rangimārie Naida Glavish presents a waka huia to the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, recognising their National Historic Landmarks/Ngā Manawhenua o Aotearoa me ōna Kōrero Tūturu status. Image Credit: Jess Burges
At Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga we honour our Tiriti obligations through our commitment to Māori heritage. Our work is guided by our vision document Tapuwae.
Tapuwae means ‘footprint’. We use this term to symbolise the footprint on the landscape of Māori land-based and built heritage. We also use it to communicate the idea that we can look back to where we have been as we move forward, taking more steps.
The Treaty of Waitangi provides the foundation for Heritage New Zealand engagement with Māori communities in respect of their heritage places. As a Crown Entity, we exercise our functions and powers on the basis of Treaty-based relationships with whānau, hapū and iwi.
Through the presence of the Māori Heritage Council and the standing and involvement of Council members amongst Māori communities, we have successfully forged strong relationships with whānau, hapū and iwi. This permits our activities and statutory functions relating to Māori heritage places to be undertaken within a relationship that is essentially a Treaty partnership.
Māori Heritage Council
The Māori Heritage Council is a statutory body with responsibilities for the identification, protection, preservation and conservation of Māori heritage places. The Council has a role in relation to Māori heritage to guide the work of Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga regarding its responsibilities for New Zealand’s historic and cultural heritage generally. The role and work of the Council represent a commitment by the Crown towards its Treaty obligations regarding Māori heritage places.
Mā Te Tiriti o Waitangi e whakatakoto te papa mō ngā whakahaere a Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga me te Kaunihera Māori ki te mahi tahi me ngā hapori Māori me ō rātou ake whenua tuku iho. Nō te mea he umanga te Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga nō te Karauna ka whakahaeretia e ia āna mahi me ōna mana kia noho tika i raro i te mahi whakawhānaungatanga ki te taha o ngā whānau, hapū, ā, iwi hoki kia rite ki ngā whakahau a te Tiriti. Nā te mahi tahi o te Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga ki te taha o te Kaunihera Māori, ā, nā te mana anō hoki o ngā mema o te Kaunihera me ā rātou mahi i roto i ō rātou ake hapori, i tutuki pai ai te take whakapakari i te taha whānaungatanga ki ngā whānau, hapū, ā, iwi hoki. Nā konei hoki i taea ai ngā mahi me te whakatinana i te mana o te ture i tukuna atu rā ki Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga me te Kaunihera Māori e pā ana ki ngā whenua tuku iho kia whakahaeretia i raro i te mauri o te mahi ngātahi.
Te Kaunihera Māori Pouhere Taonga Ko te Kaunihera Māori he rōpū ā-ture, ko āna mahi he whakamōhio, he tiaki, he whakamau, he rāhui i ngā wāhi pouhere Māori. He wāhi anō tō te Kaunihera ki te Pouhere Māori, tērā he arahi i te Pouhere Taonga o Aotearoa me ōna tauhere ki te pouhere hītori me ngā tikanga o Aotearoa.
Kitea ana te piripono o te Karauna ki te tiriti i te wāhi me te mahi i whakaritea mā te Kaunihera mō ngā wāhi pouhere Māori.
Memorial plaque at Toitu Tauraka Waka (wāhi tūpuna), Dunedin. Image Credit: Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga
Te Tai Tokerau Northland
Waitangi Treaty Grounds
Site of the first Te Tiriti signing
Clendon House
Early merchant life of hope and declaration
Māngungu Mission
Site of the largest Te Tiriti signing
Te Waimate Mission
Stories of endeavour, conflict, and perseverance
Kerikeri Mission Station
Missionaries, Māori, politics, & societal change
Pompallier Mission and Printery
A garden of stories
Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland
Alberton
Majestic mansion of love, loss, power, and prestige
Highwic
Home to 21 children
Thames School of Mines
Our largest best-preserved mining school
Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington
Old Government Buildings
Large wooden political abode
Old St Paul’s
Unique Gothic Revival design
National Library
Exhibition of three iconic constitutional documents that shape Aotearoa
Canterbury
Te Whare Waiutuutu Kate Sheppard House
Heart of the suffragist movement
Fyffe House
A pioneer whaling station
Historic Hayes
Industrious enclave of innovation
Totara Estate
Hub of economical transformation
Image Credit: Mike Heydon
Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa National Library of New Zealand
The collections of Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa National Library of New Zealand serve to connect communities with their heritage. www.natlib.govt.nz
Whina Cooper addressing Māori Land Marchers at Hamilton, 25 September 1975. Photographer: Christian Heinegg.
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