Shared with permission from ‘NZ Media Watch’ post on ‘X’ here
How to win the argument that Maori ceded sovereignty
Q1. Was the main purpose of Te Tiriti o Waitangi for Maori to cede sovereignty to Queen Victoria?
A1: Yes. It is clearly stated in the Maori, English and translated versions of the Treaty such as:
Article 1
The chiefs of the Confederation of the United Tribes and the other chiefs who have not joined the confederation, cede to the Queen of England for ever the entire Sovereignty of their country.
Article 3
In return for the cession of the Sovereignty to the Queen, the people of New Zealand shall be protected by the Queen of England and the rights and privileges of British subjects will be granted to them.
Copies of the Treaty can be viewed here: http://nzmediawatch.com/Treaty_of_Waitangi_side_by_side_-_Maori_English_Translation.html
Q2: Did the Maori chiefs understand the meaning of sovereignty?
A2: Yes. Documented and verified historical evidence shows that Maori understood the meaning of sovereignty in the Treaty. For example, at the signing of the Treaty on February 5th, 1840 missionary William Colenso made detailed notes of the meeting. Endorsement of Colenso’s authenticity is the fact that the Māori Council in 1987 used his record of the speeches to validate their claims. Here’s some quotes affirming that Maori understood the meaning of sovereignty:
Hoani Heke – chief of the Matarahurahu Tribe: “Yes, it is not for us, but for you, our fathers – you missionaries – it is for you to say, to decide, what it shall be.”
Tamati Waka Nene – chief of the Ngatihao Tribe: “I, Tamati Waka say to thee, sit. Do not thou go away from us: remain for us – a father, a judge, a peacemaker”
Later, in 1858, Hōne Heke’s tribe (Ngāpuhi) re-erected the flagpole at Russell, that he was famous for cutting down, and said: “We have a Queen, Queen Victoria. Which is what we agreed to in the Treaty”.
At the 1860 Kohimarama conference in Auckland these Maori validated that they ceded sovereignty by stating:
Wikiriwhi Matehonoa of Ngati Porou: “We are all under the sovereignty of the Queen”
Horomona Toremi of Ngati Raukawa in Otaki: “You over there (the Pakehas) are the only chiefs… Let there be one word for all this land”.
Tamati Waka Nene, one of the leaders who signed at Waitangi, said: “I know no sovereign but the Queen, and I never shall know any other. I am walking by the side of the Pakeha”.
More info here: https://bassettbrashandhide.com/post/dr-lawrie-knight-fact-checking-waitangi-tribunal-finding
Q3: There were over 80,000 Maori and only around 2,000 settlers. Why would Maori cede sovereignty?
A3: There are many reasons such as:
1. Northern Maori were afraid that the Southern tribes would come and slaughter them for Utu – because the Northern tribes had previously slaughtered the Southern tribes.
2. Maori were afraid of the French: “We have heard that the tribe of Marian [the French] is at hand, coming to take away our land”.
3. With the advent of whalers, traders, sailors and settlers disease was decimating Maori at around 4,000 deaths a year. There was a strong possibility that Maori could become extinct if something wasn’t done.
New Zealand had no law and had become very dangerous. Maori wanted the English to bring their technology and governance to fix it.
View our video about it here: https://x.com/nz_media_watch/nz_media_watch/status/1765921884254929198
Finally, though some might say that the 2014 Waitangi Tribunal findings that “in February 1840 the rangatira who signed te Tiriti did not cede their sovereignty”, that is just opinion and not based on verifiable historic evidence. Only the Maori version of the Treaty should be used to determine its meaning because Captain Hobson, as requested by Queen Victoria, stated that the Maori Tiriti o Waitangi was the true agreement and that all other copies “… and all signatures that are subsequently obtained are merely testimonials of adherence to the terms of that original document” which is Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Reference: McQueen, Ewen (2020). One Sun in the Sky: The untold story of sovereignty and the Treaty of Waitangi. First Edition. New Zealand: Benefitz Ltd.
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The New Zealand War of the 1860s was not a ‘Land war’… It was a Sovereignty War.
Murder and Mayhem in Opotiki. Part 1. Weakness enforcing the Law increases Lawlessness and Chaos.
Should New Zealand Remain in the Commonwealth? Yes! (Charles is the Bud-light of Kings. update)