Treaty Of Waitangi Summary

Treaty of waitangi :The Treaty of Waitangi was an agreement between the British and about 540 Maori chiefs.In this treaty, the Maori people gave their sovereignty to the British Crown. It is now seen to be the founding document of New Zealand.Summary of the treaty :Prior to 1840, the British Government was at first uninterested in annexing the country, but with New Zealand settlers becoming lawless and reports of the French planning to take control of the country, the British finally decided to act. Once the treaty had been authorised by British authorities, the English draft of the treaty was translated overnight by the missionary Henry Williams and his son, Edward, into Maori on the 4th of February 1840. The treaty was then debated by about 500 Maori over the course of a day and a night, with Lieutenant-Governor William Hobson, who had been appointed the task of securing British control over New Zealand, stressing the benefits to the Maoris of British sovereignty. Once the chiefs were reassured that their status and authority would be strengthened, about 40 chiefs signed the treaty at Waitangi on the 6th of February 1840. After this, the document was taken all over the country, and about 500 more chiefs signed.Comparison of the English and Maori Versions in the the treaty of waitangiThe final draft of the treaty was done by William Hobson and James Busby Although the English and Maori versions of the treaty are mostly the same, there are some subtle differences. In the First Article, the English Version stated that the chiefs should give all rights and powers of sovereignty to the Queen. In the Maori Version it states that Maori give up government to the Queen. There is no direct translation for sovereignty in Maori, because the Maoris had individual tribes instead of an overall ruler. In the Second Article, the English Version stated that the Crown had the sole right of purchase to Maori land. It is not sure if the Maori Version conveyed this message properly.[Article courtesy:wikipedia.com]