"We are resilient, resourceful people who can represent ourselves. We don't need any special treatment." — Donna Katae, Otago Peninsula Board Candidate
Are Māori Wards strengthening representation — or undermining it?
🎥 Watch here: https://t.co/4GGsY7AMXN
— REALITY CHECK RADIO (@RCR_NZ) October 6, 2025
Britain fudged it to get the Treaty across the Line.
On 5 September 2025, Julian Batchelor, Stop Co-Governance, wrote the following email stating, “The reason the British declared NZ to be a sovereign nation was so that they could sign a treaty with Maori. For a treaty to be effectual legally, it has to be between two sovereign nations. i.e. Britain fudged it to get the Treaty across the line”.
But was ‘sovereignty’ fudged to get the Treaty across the line?
Since this time, I have given this a lot of thought and while Britain may have, “Tried to fudge the Treaty to get it across the line”, when the facts are known, those involved in drafting the Treaty of Waitangi knew Maori could not, and did not have sovereignty over New Zealand in 1840.
Lord Normanby’s treaty instructions to Captain William Hobson, dated 14 August 1839, stated, “We acknowledge New Zealand as a sovereign and independent State”, but he then went on to say, “So far at least as it is possible to make such acknowledgment in favour of a people composed of numerous, dispersed, and petty tribes, who possess few political relations to each other, and are incompetent to act, or even to deliberate in concert”.
From this clause, Lord Normanby knew Maori could not, and did not have sovereignty over New Zealand in 1840.Rev Henry Williams and his son Edward would not allow the Treaty, “To be fudged to get it across the line” and changed “sovereignty” to “government/kawanatanga” when they translated Lt. Governor Hobson’s final draft into the Tiriti o Waitangi, on the night of 4 February 1840.“Kawanatanga” was the word Rev Henry Williams had used for “government” in the 1835 Declaration of Independence with “Sovereignty” translated to “Kingitanga”.
Every Tiriti o Waitangi and Maori to English dictionary also has “kawanatanga” translated to “government”. Before the Treaty was read to the gathering at Waitangi on 5 February 1840, Lt. Governor Hobson, British Resident James Busby and Rev. Henry Williams met behind closed doors to check Rev Henry William’s translation of the Treaty of Waitangi into the Maori language; Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Both Hobson and Busby agree with the word “sovereignty” being changed to “kawanatanga/government” as they also knew Maori could not and did not have sovereignty over New Zealand in 1840.British Resident James Busby had tried to get the chiefs to claim sovereignty over New Zealand with his Declaration of Independence in 1835, but as he could only entice 52 chiefs out of about 600 to sign the Declaration due to the tension and fighting between the tribes, the Declaration was abandoned without one meeting ever taking place. Rev Henry Williams had used the word “Kingitanga” for “Sovereignty” and “kawanatanga” for “government” when he translated the Declaration of Independence into Maori. Lord Normanby was correct in his instructions to Hobson, “It was not possible to make such acknowledgment in favour of a people composed of numerous, dispersed, and petty tribes, who possess few political relations to each other, and are incompetent to act, or even to deliberate in concert”. This was confirmed by Chief Justice, Sir James Prendergast in 1877 when he ruled at the trial between Wi Parata v the Bishop of Wellington, stating, “So far indeed as that instrument (The Treaty of Waitangi) purported to cede the sovereignty it must be regarded as a ‘simple nullity’. No political body existed capable of making cession of sovereignty”. While Britain tried to “Fudge Sovereignty to get the Treaty across the line”, those involved in drafting it did not allow this to happen. They knew, Maori did not have sovereignty over New Zealand in 1840, therefore, Lt Governor Hobson had to ask the 540 chiefs to sign the Treaty as individual chiefs as there was, “No political body existed capable of making cession of sovereignty”, which made the Treaty of Waitangi a ‘simple nullity’ as it was not signed between two Sovereign Nations.
Researcher, Ross Baker.
One New Zealand Foundation Inc.
www.onenzfoundation.co.nz 24/9/25
Before you read Act’s press release I would like to comment on the 300 000 plus public submissions received for this Bill.
We have been told the vast majority of submissions opposed the Bill and that on this basis the select committee (full of national party) have recommended the bill be scrapped.
Hobson’s Pledge has come forward and said… If the New Zealand Public are overwhelmingly opposed to the Bill then why do the Political parties who oppose the bill fear holding a public referendum on it and allow the people of New Zealand to have their say?
the Answer is obvious… the submissions process has been hijacked by corrupt Political interests to the degree that the 300 000 submissions does not accurately reflect New Zealanders true democratic opinion.
We can be certain that most of the 300 000 submissions were ‘harvested’ rather than genuine submissions. I know Hobson’s pledge used a ‘submissions generator’ yet I think such submissions should be disqualified. The Maori Party has been recorded openly endorsing generating false submissions. These so-called ‘Submissions generators’ are an obvious opportunity to rig the process… to defraud genuine submissions.
8% of 300 000 is 24 000 submissions in favour of the bill.
We also had countless numbers of Government departments, and government funded private interests who depend on the maintenance of Treaty separatism for their income streams using their Government funded systems to garner submissions to oppose the bill.
This is a clear conflict of interest given they *work for the people* yet are putting their private interests first.
Also from watching just a short amount of the oral submissions I saw people who while on the Public dime… during working hours… traveling to wellington to deliver submissions against the Bill.
All of this is corruption!
It’s a massive misuse of Public moneys for political ends.
Then there were the countless numbers of submissions that clearly show the people who sent them have no grasp of what the Bill actually is, nor did they present any cogent argument for it’s rejection. They simply stated they opposed the bill… for patently invalid reasons.
Tim Wikiriwhi.
Christian Libertarian.
**********
Act’s Press Release (Below).
Copied from Act New Zealand’s X page… here
ACT New Zealand
@actparty
·
Over 300,000 Treaty Principles Submissions, and not a glove laid on Equal Rights
“The Treaty Principles Bill Select Committee report confirms what ACT has long said. There are no good arguments against people being equal, and more people making bad arguments does not improve them,” says ACT Leader David Seymour.
“They came in their thousands to oppose the Bill, but only succeeded in showing why Parliament should pass it into law. The confused and often self-contradictory arguments against the bill (analysed below) show why it is necessary to clarify a simple truth by Parliament passing this law: All Kiwis are Equal, forever.
“The alternative version of New Zealand supported by many submitters, where Parliament is not sovereign and people shouldn’t have their rights upheld equally, is unworkable. The idea that two babies born in New Zealand should have a different place in New Zealand thanks to events occurring nearly two centuries before their birth is abhorrent.
“High profile bills often draw out Select Committee submissions that don’t reflect public opinion. Opponents will make much of the balance of submissions, but if they believed the public opposed the bill they could call for a referendum where everyone votes. You can’t say the majority decides the matter unless you’re ready for the majority to decide the matter.
“We have seen wide contrasts between submissions and public opinion before. In the case of the End of Life Choice Act, analysis of that showed 90 per cent were opposed. When that law was put to referendum, it passed by 65 per cent to 34 per cent (with a small number of ‘informal’ votes).
“When people are asked about the Bill’s principles, they come out strongly in favour. For example when a scientific poll asked about the specific wording of the proposed principles, it found:
The Executive Government of New Zealand has full power to govern, and the Parliament of New Zealand has full power to make laws in the best interests of everyone; and in accordance with the rule of law and the maintenance of a free and democratic society.
Support: 45%
Oppose: 24%
The Crown recognises, and will respect and protect, the rights that hapū and iwi Māori had under the Treaty of Waitangi/te Tiriti o Waitangi at the time they signed it. However, if those rights differ from the rights of everyone, this applies only if those rights are agreed in the settlement of a historical treaty claim under the Treaty of Waitangi Act 1975.
Support: 42%
Oppose: 25%
Everyone is equal before the law. Everyone is entitled, without discrimination, to the equal protection and equal benefit of the law; and the equal enjoyment of the same fundamental human rights.
Support: 62%
Oppose: 14%
“The principles in the bill are strongly supported by an average margin of two votes to one. However, even if the principle of equal rights for all was wildly unpopular (as it has been on many issues throughout our history), it would still be the right policy. The reason is that people truly are equal, and the law of the land should treat them as being alike in dignity.
“The submissions and the opposition parties’ summaries of them show why the bill is needed.
Here are the key arguments:
Māori never ceded sovereignty
“Various submitters claim that Māori never ceded sovereignty in the Treaty of Waitangi, and it’s implausible that they would have. It has always been inconsistent to argue that the Chiefs were all powerful when they signed, but only years later the British superpower was able to trample rights Māori with overwhelming force in the land wars.
“The truth is that Britain was the superpower of its day, and there were good reasons to seek its protection. A combination of the musket wars, unruly settlers, and concern about possible French intrusion made it very plausible that Māori would want British protection, including from other iwi.
“Furthermore, Rangatira raised the concern that sovereignty would be lost as a reason not to sign. They were fully aware of what they were signing up to, that people now say they were not an afront to their mana.
“More importantly, those submitting to Parliament failed to give any workable solution to a country without a sovereign Parliament. Without clearly understood and respected laws it would be much harder for people to build their lives, homes, families and businesses, as is the case in many countries around the world that lack strong democratic traditions.
“Widespread claims that Parliament does not have the right to make laws show why the first proposed principle is needed. The basic idea that the Government and Parliament have the full right to make laws is essential to a coherent country where people have certainty to plan their lives. Te Pati Māori have shown a hint of the anarchist alternative with their theatrics around the bill and subsequent Privileges hearing.
Parliament cannot interpret the Treaty
“One submission claimed ‘Parliamentarians come from all walks of life and have a vast array of skills, however very few have a coherent understanding of the historical context in which Te Tiriti was signed, nor proficiency in Te Reo Māori to understand the true context of the original text, nor the experience applying the principles in a judicial context. (Green Minority View)’
“Various submitters argued that the Courts, Waitangi Tribunal and various experts can interpret what Parliament meant when it legislated that there are Treaty Principles, but a Parliament of the people cannot. What they are really saying is that the destiny of the country cannot be decided by the people who must live in it. That is a recipe for disenfranchisement and growing discontent. Parliament can and must remain the highest court in the land.
Other countries have special indigenous rights
“One Party’s Minority View claims that ‘Canada, Denmark, Bolivia, Sweden, Finland, Ecuador, and the Philippines are a few countries that have enabled constitutional recognition of Indigenous rights.’ This is only partially true, none of these countries have a constitution that effectively splits Governance equally between two ethnic groups regardless of numbers, as many suggest New Zealand should be co-governed.
“More importantly, there are many examples of bad policies around the world that we should not want to emulate. Canadian indigenous policy, for example, is a very poor comparator to New Zealand, it is certainly not an example we should want to follow.
Māori don’t have special rights
“Various submitters were summarized as saying the Māori do not in fact have special rights. This contradicts the argument that Māori have separate sovereignty from the rest of New Zealand. It also brings into question why anyone would oppose a bill that says All New Zealanders have the same rights, notwithstanding Treaty Settlements.
“The contradiction emerged in one passage from the report:
One often repeated statement was that Māori were given special privileges under the Resource Management Act. There was no substantive evidence provided for this, and the Auckland City Council in its oral submission rejected that this was the case. It is true that where there is an application for a resource consent for a use outside of the District Plan the interests of Māori, including local iwi and hapu, are relevant to decision making. However it is hard to understand how consultation with the mana whenua is in any way a special privilege.
Māori do have special rights
“The above paragraph perhaps brought out the best contrast between those objectors who believe Māori do have special rights, and those who believe they do not. They began by claiming there are not special rights, then concluded Māori are so special they should expect to have special rights!
“Clearly many people do believe Māori should have special rights, while also claiming to support equal rights. That is why it is necessary to pass the Treaty Principles Bill.
Māori have a group right to language and culture
“One of the most interesting themes of the submissions was that the Māori have group rights to language and culture that must be protected by the Treaty. This reflects a genuine anxiety that opponents of the bill have created, that gains in te reo Māori, Kapa haka, and the application of Tikanga might be lost. I take that anxiety seriously.
“There is no need for specific Treaty protection for Māori language and culture for flourish. Choice programs and health and education, arts funding, and tikanga practices in everyday life can all flourish without a specific constitutional protection, none of them rely on it. All of them are part of a commitment to allowing all citizens an opportunity to flourish and succeed on their own terms.
“Furthermore, if Māori language and culture require constitutional protection, what about the many other groups who make up New Zealand. Are they somehow not entitled to their language and culture? If they are not, then how can we say we are a society committed to equal rights?
The bureaucracy criticised it
Some made much of the Public Service criticizing the Bill. Public servants were the most predictable critics of the bill. The whole point of the Bill is that the bureaucrats got it wrong. If their view of the Treaty was consistent with equal rights and democracy, it would not be necessary for parliament to intervene in the first place.
The Bill is divisive
“Others claimed that the Bill has been divisive. The Bill propose that the Treaty be interpreted in such a way that All Kiwis are Equal. What the Bill has done is reveal that New Zealand is divided. Many believe Parliament should not be sovereign, and the rights of two New Zealanders born on the same day might not be equal, depending on their ancestry.
“The Bill has revealed a drift towards division in this country. That drift to division further shows why the Bill is necessary.
In conclusion
“In conclusion, there are no compelling arguments that Parliament is not sovereign, and citizens of this country do not have equal rights. There are worrying arguments that New Zealand cannot function as a liberal democratic state if the Treaty gives different New Zealanders different rights. The Select Committee process has strengthened the case for the Treaty Principles Bill.”
More from Tim…
Principles of The Treaty Of Waitangi Bill. Submission By Tim Wikiriwhi.
Tim Wikiriwhi: My 5 minute Oral submission for the Treaty Principles Bill.
Ruff Draft.
To be delivered tomorrow some time between 2-2.30pm via Zoom link.
As I only get 5 minutes I’ll have to trim this down….
Tim Wikiriwhi speaking at another event.
Kia Ora.
I am Tim Wikirwhi.
Of the Arawa waka
I emphatically support the Treaty Principles Bill, and look forward to a future day when the false doctrines of Treaty separatism have been tossed into the wastebasket of history.
What is this Treaty Principles Bill fundamentally about?
Some people will say it’s about figuring out the correct relationship between Maori and Pakeha .. and there are strong conflicting opinions about that.
I contend this is not truly fundamental instead the point of this bill is to dig down through nearly 200 years and present to the New Zealand people concisely *What the Historically objective meaning of the Treaty of Waitangi *Really was* according to those who penned the document, Then explained it’s meaning to the Maori Chiefs, who then debated whether or not they should sign it… And sign it they did.
That is all that matters… that we get to the historical truth!
It matters not whether we approve or disapprove of the historical truth about the Treaty… our feelings must be kept separate from this investigation so that the objective truth may be understood… and upheld… regardless of whether that Truth is convenient… or politically correct… or nice… or nasty.
Too many people involved in this Bill are not being honest or objective but seek to re-interpret the Treaty in ways that serve their own interests and bias.
That is dishonest and Corrupt!
If you want to understand Te Triti O Waitangi… all you need to do is go read the Littlewood Treaty!
Yes we have the original English draft of the Treaty… in the hand of James Busby… and when you compare Te Tiriti O Waitangi to the Littlewood draft I have been assured by experts they are a perfect match.
I call this committee to enter the Littlewood Treaty as evidence to the true meaning of Te Tiriti O Waitangi.
Please don’t pretend that important historical document has no relevance to this bill!
It was from the Littlewood document that Henry Williams translated Te Tiriti O Waitangi.
So it is fundamental!
The Littlewood Treaty clearly states… 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 Sovreignty [sic] of their country.’
Secondly we have recorded history of Governor Hobson clearly stating when shaking the hand of every chief after they had signed the treaty… “He Iwi Tahi Tatou” “We are now one people”.
That clearly embodies the spirit of the Treaty.. the very day it was signed.
My time is short. I have one other piece of historical evidence… *Hold Up 50 Dollar Bill*
See this image on this bank note!
It is of a truly great man… A Statesman… Sir Aparana Ngata.
Of historical mana that has no equal today.
In his speech at the Centennial celebrations of the Treaty of Waitangi on February 6, 1940 he said:
“Let me say one thing. Clause 1 of the Treaty handed over the mana and the sovereignty of New Zealand to Queen Victoria and her descendants forever. That is the outstanding fact today. That but for the shield of the sovereignty handed over to Her Majesty and her descendants I doubt that there would be a free Māori race in New Zealand today.”
This quote reflects Ngata’s perspective that Māori chiefs, by signing the Treaty, transferred sovereignty to the British Crown, a view he also expressed in other writings, such as his 1922 booklet The Treaty of Waitangi: An Explanation. There, he elaborated on the first article of the Treaty, stating that the chiefs ceded “the Government of all their lands” to the Queen, interpreting this as a complete transfer of authority or sovereignty.”
There you have it!
This is the opinion of one of The Maori Peoples greatest champions of the Colonial era.
Succinct and unequivocal.
Yet today we have powerful political vested interest groups who have spend decades falsifying history… seeking to muddy the waters about the True meaning of the Treaty… for their own gain… at the expense of all New Zealanders but themselves. They have ensnared many common Maori people, embroiling them in a diabolical and fraudulent political scheme that now holds our entire nation to ransom. This Brings shame, weakness, and degradation upon the Maori People… not honour… not strength!
Let us end these lies now!
Appreciate this Fact! Today All Kiwi of Maori ancestry … like myself… we all.. also share Pakeha Blood in our veins too!
The spirit of the Treaty has become Flesh and Blood… we are now literally one mixed blood!
How is it that scheming politicians seek to politically divide our Nation when in truth to do so we must deny history and our own biological truth!
I say We are all whanau now!
Let us Free the Maori people, and all New Zealanders from the Fraud of Treaty separatism and acknowledge we are all created equal and that *as one people*… New Zealanders… that Racial equality before the Law is essential for justice in our land… and that is what the Treaty Truthfully established here under British Rule of Law.
Thank you for hearing my submission.
I make myself available to the committee for any further assistance I might be for the purpose of Due process for this Bill.
**************
Tim Wikiriwhi.
Christian Libertarian.
More from Tim…
Principles of The Treaty Of Waitangi Bill. Submission By Tim Wikiriwhi. (Written submission)
Big Hui: Kingites Plot Social Unrest To Maintain Racist Treaty separatism @ Turangawarwae .
A Submission In Opposition To The Electoral (Entrenchment Of Maori Seats) Amendment Bill
TIM WIKIRIWHI’S SUBMISSION TO THE NEW ZEALAND GOVERNMENT’S CONSTITUTIONAL REVIEW. 2013
MT EVEREST IS FOR WIMPS! LETS CONQUER APARTHEID GOVERNMENT IN NEW ZEALAND! A STRATEGY.
UNIVERSAL PRIDE IN WASHINGTON, SEPARATIST SHAME IN WELLINGTON.
Asking Grok (X AI)
Important note: This is not an attack on Maori students, or ordinary Maori. This is an attack on the shameful rubbish that is being peddled by Racist radicals posing as scholars and professors in our universities that is filling our young peoples minds with toxic lies about the history of our country and about very serious social problems going on today.
It is a rebuke of hopeless politicians like PM Chris Luxon who allow this travesty to go on indefinitely.
Just recently many New Zealanders were stupefied to learn ‘Maori scientists’ had been granted $4m Tax dollars by the NZ Gov to try and heal Kauri Die-back disease by playing recorded whale songs. The Oranga Project defended its methods, on its website referencing the cultural and scientific context of their work.
“Māori whakapapa describes how the kauri and tohorā (sperm whale) are brothers, but they were separated when the tohorā chose the ocean over the forest,” the project said on its website.
Read about that here Taxpayer money spent on Kauri tree research using whale song and whale-oil potions
This is a gigantic farce and the people of New Zealand have had a guts full of being fleeced by snake oil salesmen under the guise of ‘honouring the Treaty’.
Nobody believes that Kauri trees and whales are brothers!
That may have been a belief 200 years ago… yet today no Maori believes that!
Only Radicalised academics foist their delusions (and evil ideologies) upon the nation.
It’s a scam!
These scammers are bringing the Maori people into disrepute.
It’s the same sort of rubbish as has recently happened in parliament when the entire house voted that Mount Taranaki be recognised as a Legal person!
How on Earth can our parliament be so absurd and contrary to truth and reason?
They are selling us all out to radicalism and delusion.
Yet these travesties are far from being the worst form of chicanery that is running amok!
Far worse is going on… contemptible rasict lies are being drilled into our children’s heads and are being institutionalised.
Maori ‘Academics’ claim the obscenely high incidence of child abuse in Maori communities is not their fault!
We are told it’s not because Maori lack self-control and Ethics…. no… Maori academics like Associate Professor Leonie Pihama says colonisation is the root cause of the high rates of Maori child abuse.
She blames History, White people, and racist systemic oppression for Maori murdering and abusing their kids!
Not a hint of self responsibility in sight!
This is an outrage!
This is not scholarly wisdom… but Marxist racist radicalism!
It’s bear faced toxic and hateful radical ideology with no basis in reality… and it’s passing the buck.
These people are demented racists.
What is even worse is that Politicians Like Ardern and Chris Luxon Bite into that Shit sandwich and swallow.
They are fully lobotomised by these radical beliefs.
They allow them to be shoved down the throats of the good people of New Zealand who are also expected to swallow.
They allow these racist lies to be disseminated in our schools and universities!
This is systematic vandalism of History. It is generating a pandemic of vile racism amongst Maori, and indoctrinates new generations of Maori Radicals and extremists to guarantee New Zealand gets no rest for the foreseeable future.
Read about the radicalisation of one Maori girl student here.
And that is not even the worst consequences of such systematic propaganda.
These despicable falsehoods are reeking havoc in our most essential institutions such as our Laws and Justice system.
I wrote an article about another shyster Gov Report (like He pua pua) called ‘A Vessel of tears’ that blames Maori crime on colonisation, and we can see the justice Dep trying to implement these racist lies when in October last year, due to public backlash NZ Solicitor General Una Jagose KC was forced to withdraw her controversial guidelines she had issued instructing judges to create a two tier sentencing hierarchy which gives Maori lower sentences than non-Maori on the basis that they have ‘suffered colonisation’.
She revised and re-issued her guidelines yet she has exposed her hand…. she buys into the lies that Maori are not fully responsible for their own criminality… and that blame lies with Pakeha colonisation.
I’m certain a copy of ‘A Vessel of Tears’ sits in her top office draw.
Read: NZ Herald Solicitor-General backs down over controversial Māori prosecution guidelines
^Satire posted on X… yet what makes satire funny/concerning is that there is always a kernel of truth. What really is Luxon thinking?
Anti-colonialism is a Marxist doctrine designed to undermine and destroy Western Capitalist nations like New Zealand.
These are some of the evil lies slandering Pakeha and perpetuating Maori victimhood that underpin Treaty separatism and the Treaty Grievance industry that Woke National party PM Chris Luxon refuses to address!
Head up his own arse!
It’s been business as usual for racist radicalism under Luxon.
It’s like Ardern’s never left office!
New Zealanders have a right to be livid at his pig headed refusals to stop this Racist madness.
In truth Luxon is way out of his depth.
He’s incompetent on so many levels.
Naïve and cowardly… and seeking to ‘out-woke’ Jacinda Ardern.
New Zealanders must face the truth that National is no alternative to Labour… they are effectively one and the same.
We desperately need leadership of courage and principle… to restore our Nation back to it’s tolerant and enlightened recent past.
To make New Zealand Great again.
New Zealanders Need to Rally and organise themselves into a massive Protest protest movement to send a message to our Politicians that We will no longer tolerate these racist lies and extortions.
We demand an end to the fraud of Treaty separatism, and we demand Racial equality before the Law for all, be constitutionally enshrined forbidding any Racist laws or institutions being created in the future!
The longer these farcical delusions continue the more Maori slip into race hatred of Pakeha… the longer Maori will continue with their obscene levels of crime, and the more Maori children will be murdered by their own maniac Whanau.
Tim Wikiriwhi
Christian Libertarian.
Read more from Tim.
Principles of The Treaty Of Waitangi Bill. Submission By Tim Wikiriwhi.
The Wanganui River and the incredulous incantations of the Neo-Tohungas…
Bill Ludbrook sent me a copy of his submission in support of Act’s Treaty Principles Bill, and gave me permission to share it here at Eternal Vigilance and elsewhere.
It is significant in that Bill steps up in defense of the true meaning of Te Tiriti O Waitangi… translated from the English ‘Littlewood Draft’… by the hand of his Great Great Grandfather… Chief Missionary Henry Williams in 1840.
Henry Williams looms large in this pivotal period of our nations history.
It is outrageous that modern revisionists place themselves… and their interpretation of the meaning of Maori Words over and above this Great man who was not only contemporary with the times, but also his Brother ‘William Williams’ authored The Maori Dictionary!
As Bill says in his submission… “Henry Williams will be ‘turning in his grave’ at the current absurdities of the situation.”
Bill also makes a very truthful claim about the Treaty being ‘Redundant’… It ought to be… yet that is a discussion for another hour.
The debate today is about what is the true meaning of the Treaty?
Why are the ‘Treaty Principles’ enacted in 1975 False?
Read Bill’s sub (below)…
Tim Wikiriwhi
Christian Libertarian.
To: The Select Committee – Treaty Principles Bill Submission.
Dated: Monday 2nd December 2024.
Introduction:
My name is William (Bill) Ludbrook and I am a descendant of Henry Williams.
I support David Seymour’s Treaty Principles Bill, because it uncomplicates an ancient Maori document that nobody understands, if they ever did understand it at any given time?
In February 1840, New Zealand’s first Governor, Captain William Hobson of England, asked Henry Williams to translate Queen Victoria’s Treaty offer to New Zealand, into the Maori language to become known as “Te Tiriti o’ Waitangi”.
Summary:
The Te Tiriti o’ Waitangi in its existing form, has now become redundant.
It remains controversial, it is ineffective, it is shameful, it is embarrassing, it is divisive, and it does not represent New Zealanders well in 2024 or 184 years after its date of execution between Rangatira and New Zealand’s first British Governor William Hobson in 1840.
My grandfather of two greats, Henry Williams, will be ‘turning in his grave’ at the current absurdity of the situation in New Zealand regarding “his Tiriti o’ Waitangi”
The ‘twisting and changing’ interpretations of our foundation document in New Zealand, by the Waitangi Tibunal and others, has been dramatic, inaccurate, and unacceptable!
The representatives of Queen Victoria would never have signed a Treaty in Queen Victoria’s name, without guaranteeing her full Sovereignty over that colony. To say otherwise is part of the absurdity emanating from some sectors of NZ today.
The Treaty of Waitangi was translated into the Maori language in 1840, for one solitary reason, and that is Rangatira Maori did not understand any language except the Maori language, especially as something as important as a Treatywith the British Royal Crown!
Obviously today in 2024, it is an entirely different proposition.
Every single Maori on this planet clearly understands the English language.
Henry William’s Maori version, referred to as te Tiriti o’ Waitangi, was signed by over 500 Maori Chiefs and Ariki throughout the country of New Zealand.
Only 39 Chiefs signed Queen Victoria’s English version.
To answer the reasons for this, we need to go back to the Treaty of Waitangi and compare what the English Treaty said originally, with what tribal representatives, ‘inept Waitangi Tribunal members’, and many ‘history ignorant’ politicians today say it says.
The final English draft from which the Treaty in Maori was written by Henry Williams, is called the Littlewood draft.
It has this name because this draft was given to a lawyer by the name of Henry Littlewood by James Busby and Hobson to check over the Treaty draft in English.
Henry Littlewood who was present in the Bay of Islands in the 1830s and 1840s is presumed to have had some association with the actors involved in the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi. This said document is written on paper watermarked as 1833 and is dated 4th of February 1840. This was the day Henry Williams was given the Treaty to translate into Maori. It has also now been confirmed as being in Busby’s handwriting. Therefore, the Littlewood Treaty draft in English, mirrors the official versions.
It went missing and was found in Auckland in 1989 (Nineteen Eighty-Nine) among family records belonging to the descendants of Henry Littlewood.
“The Fair Colony” (By Bruce Moon, New Zealand, Historian and Author, Second Edition, p6) confirmed it was the final original English draft. However, under pressure from activists, aided by various politicians, it was quickly taken out of sight by government officials and hidden away to this day.
When one compares the Treaty in Maori with the Littlewood Draft, we could say they are identical.
This is how historians can tell it was the Littlewood final draft that was used to draw up the Treaty in Maori by Henry Williams in 1840.
If you want to know what the Treaty in Maori says in English, then read the Littlewood draft.
Following, are the three Articles of the Treaty from this said Littlewood draft.
These articles are simple, and very easy to understand.
Preamble:
“Her Majesty Victoria, Queen of England in her gracious consideration for the Chiefs and people of New Zealand, and her desire to preserve them their land and to maintain peace and order amongst them, has been pleased to appoint an officer to treat with them for the cession of the Sovereignty (sic) of their country and the islands of their country and of the islands adjacent to the Queen.
Seeing that already many of her Majesty’s subjects have already settled in the country and are constantly arriving, and that it is desirable for their protection as well as the protection of the natives to establish a government amongst them.
Her Majesty has accordingly been pleased to appoint me William Hobson a Captain of the Royal Navy to be Governor of such parts of New Zealand as may now or hereafter be ceded to Her Majesty and proposes to the Chiefs of the Confederation of United Tribes of New Zealand and the other Chiefs to agree to the following Articles”:
Article One:
“The Chiefs of the Confederation of United Tribes, and other chiefs who have not joined the Confederation, cede to the Queen of England forever the entire Sovereignty of their country”
Article two:
“The Queen of England confirms and guarantees to the Chiefs and the tribes and to all the people of New Zealand, the possession of their lands, dwellings, and all their property. But the Chiefs of the Confederation of the United Tribes and the other Chiefs grant to the Queen, the exclusive rights of purchasing such lands as the proprietors thereof may be disposed to sell at such prices as may be agreed upon between them and the person appointed by the Queen to purchase from them”
Article 3.
“In return for the cession of their 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” end.
That is a clear, uncomplicated, easy to understand, Treaty of Waitangi.
Yet, what do we see today? A toxic culture of division being perpetrated by activists who are only interested in causing resentment. Instead of celebrating the benefits of a shared heritage, one that includes Western advancements that raised the standard of living for everyone. These agitators push for separatism. Co-governance, race-based laws, and constant demands for ‘decolonisation’ are going to rip our social fabric apart.
Here’s the truth: no nation can survive on the basis of two separate legal systems, one for one race and one for another. That’s not equality, it’s apartheid, plain and simple. And what makes it worse, is that this divisive ideology is being peddled under the guise of liberal ‘justice’. It’s not liberal and it’s not justice, it’s Maori supremacy, brought to you mainly by a number of present day new generation Maori.
We need to reject this path and embrace the only principles that made New Zealand a success: equality before the law, individual rights, and a shared national identity. We should respect Maori heritage, but respect isn’t achieved by bending the knee to historical grievances or rewriting the rules of governance to privilege one group over many others.
Maori culture, like Western culture, is worth preserving, and not through racial favouritism or endless guilt-tripping about colonisation. It’s preserved through genuine pride, mutual respect, and the recognition that we’re all citizens of the same country.
Kiwis are some of the most patriotic people you’ll ever meet. There’s a pride that runs deep in this country, pride in our way of life, pride in the freedoms we enjoy, and pride in the fact that we’ve created a society which, despite its flaws, is still one of the best in the world to live in. We’re fiercely protective of our home, our culture and our shared history.
So, when we talk about Maori and Pakeha relations, it’s important to remember that the vast majority of New Zealanders, regardless of their background, are united in their love for this country.
They want a future where we can all live side by side as equals, without the need
for separate laws or separate systems of governance.
This isn’t about ignoring the past or rejecting the Treaty, it’s about building a future that reflects the reality of what New Zealand is today: a diverse but unified country, where every person, regardless of their ancestry, has the same rights and accountabilities.
The reality is, most Kiwis want the same thing, respect for Maori culture and respect for our European heritage which gave us a parliament (and everything else). It’s time to stop using history as a weapon to divide us. New Zealand should be better than this.
I support David Seymour’s Treaty Principles Bill simply for reasons of clarity.
Also, what appears as conceivable and sensible and reasonable, is we already have a perfectly clear Treaty of Waitangi currently in our possession in the form of the said “Littlewood draft” which is already in the English language and will inevitably be clearly understood by every single New Zealander.
This may not be accepted because it may conjure an absurdity of being too simplistic, too easy, and too sensible to consider. On the other hand, it may be seen in the spirit and simplicity it is written.
Background to the author of this submission:
Archdeacon Henry William’s daughter Caroline, was my grandfather, Henry Ludbrook’s Mother.
My family were all born and bred on the same ‘sacred land’ at Pouerua, Pakaraka, and Taiamai, Bay of Islands, which Henry Williams purchased from 16 powerful Ngapuhi Chiefs and Ariki, including Hone Heke, in 1833.
Dr Aidan Challis of the Science and Research Division of the Department of Conservation, describes Pouerua as a “World Class Cultural Monument”
In his 20 years involvement with ‘Heritage Protection’ he says that “Pouerua and the main cone and associated lava, is a historical landscape of outstanding significance”
He says “Although there were once large horticultural Maori settlements throughout New Zealand, all but Pouerua have been destroyed”
“This special place” has a unique ancient archaeological history that has been designated by famous researchers as being one of the world’s largest, most intact unspoilt archaeological sites, anywhere in the world!
Dr Aidan Challis said “It could be likened to Hadrian’s Wall in England, or the Pyramids in Egypt, or the Colosseum in Rome, dating back to around 1200AD.
“It remains intact and unspoilt as it was during human (Maori) occupation hundreds of years ago”
“Pouerua, through the benign management practices of the Williams and Ludbrook families for 191 years has meant full protection of Pouerua has been allowed to occur”
Ownership of this subject land was passed down to Henry William’s Ludbrook grandsons over many generations.
Parts of this special place are still farmed by the Ludbrook family to this present day in 2024.
Closing comments:
Henry Williams, as an ex Royal Navy officer, arrived in NZ in 1823 from Britain to Head the Church Missionary Society of New Zealand.
In subsequent years, in 1840 he was to become known and revered by Maori throughout New Zealand for his courage as a Missionary and peacemaker, and always his intentions and willingness to help Maori deal with the tidal wave of lawless European pakeha settlers around this time.
He was recognised by Maori throughout the country and early settlers in New Zealand as being fearless. He feared his God and therefore had no fear of men.
On February 6th 1840, 40 Ngapuhi Chiefs signed the Treaty of Waitangi, at Waitangi, Bay of Islands, Northland, New Zealand.
Queen of England Victoria’s English version was translated into Maori by the Head of the Church Missionary Society of New Zealand, Henry Williams, and it has been known in this country ever since as Te Tiriti o’ Waitangi.
Any weak-kneed approach to the Treaty Principles Bill from anyone is exactly what NZ does not need!
At a time when Kiwis are yearning for strong leadership, that stands up for unity and fair-mindedness, Hon. David Seymour appears to possess all of those qualities required for these purposes!
Bill Ludbrook
Pakaraka,
Bay of Islands, New Zealand.
More from Tim…
Principles of The Treaty Of Waitangi Bill. Submission By Tim Wikiriwhi.
Big Hui: Kingites Plot Social Unrest To Maintain Racist Treaty separatism @ Turangawarwae .
A Submission In Opposition To The Electoral (Entrenchment Of Maori Seats) Amendment Bill
TIM WIKIRIWHI’S SUBMISSION TO THE NEW ZEALAND GOVERNMENT’S CONSTITUTIONAL REVIEW. 2013
MT EVEREST IS FOR WIMPS! LETS CONQUER APARTHEID GOVERNMENT IN NEW ZEALAND! A STRATEGY.
UNIVERSAL PRIDE IN WASHINGTON, SEPARATIST SHAME IN WELLINGTON.
Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill.
Public Submission.
To the committee.
Hello.
My name is Tim Wikirwihi.
I am a father, grandfather, a Christian Libertarian, and a Kiwi of both Maori and Pakeha descent.
Te Arawa is my Iwi.
In my daily affairs I never feel the need to mention my Maori ancestry, or Iwi as I do not see any relevance in my dealings with others.
In my work (I am a self employed engineer), or any other affairs I am simply Tim Wikiriwhi, and I expect others to interact with me simply on the basis of common humanity and my own reputation and character… not my race, yet given the nature of this Bill, and the position I stand for, I believe this is one of the few times that it is appropriate to mention my tribal affiliation because it adds an important context to my submission that I believe is essential for this committee to appreciate.
I am a representative of a substantial demographic that many pretend does not exist.
I am a New Zealander of Maori blood who emphatically supports this Treaty principles Bill and urge the committee to recommend it be passed into law.
Given Truth and Justice for our nation are at stake I think that it is vital for your committee to appreciate that there are many Maori like myself who stand with our fellow non-Maori countrymen earnestly desiring an end to the false doctrines of ‘Treaty separatism’, and a restoration of the true principles of the treaty that established a single Crown government over all peoples of New Zealand and that it guaranteed *Equality of rights* before the Law… for us all… As British subjects.
The Treaty did not establish a perpetual racial division.
It did not created a partnership of ‘shared governance’.
The Maori Chiefs ceded sovereignty to the British Crown.
These are the historical facts.
They are supported by mountains of documentation and recorded statements of such giants of Maoridom Sir Aparana Ngata, and evidence is plentiful in the Archives of the British and New Zealand Governments.
We even have the original English manuscript of the Treaty… penned by James Busby from which Te Tiriti o Waitangi was translated and transcribed.
The Littlewood Treaty.
Wars were fought and won to uphold the Sovereignty of the British Crown as written in the Treaty of Waitangi.
‘Treaty partnership’ as we know it today is a modern malicious political construct that exhumes dangerous racist rebellious delusions that had long been put to rest as a Nation resulting in prosperity, peace and unity.
Racist subversives have succeeded in hijacking our Nation and stirring up Race hate afresh.
These are facts… not opinions… embedded in historical realty.
To deny these is to falsify history and facilitate political fraud that was foisted upon our nation in 1975.
50 years of Heavy political favour has not lifted Maori out of their dire social statistics because it utterly fails to address the real causes of their plight!
It is not institutional racism that keeps Maori down, But institutional welfarism and dependence!
Maori need to take ownership and responsibility for their own crimes and poor health, and quit blaming everybody else… but themselves.
This is the key to breaking the social malaise that rests upon them, and will continue to do so as long as Treaty separatism and the grievance industries hold sway.
These blights on our Country require ongoing Racial strife for fuel.
This is the expertise of Radical Leftist Marxism.
The wave of ‘Anti-colonialism’/ calls for ‘decolonisation’ are a shameful slander upon the Good and Heroic Pioneers and Colonists who built this country not by thefts and oppression, but by sweat, toil, and virtue!
Making this Country the envy of the world and the envy of the racist radicals who are using political extortion to plunder our nation for themselves!
David Seymour (who is of Maori Descent) has boldly submitted this Bill for Parliament to consider as a first step in bringing this nasty Politics of race to heel.
One of the biggest hurdles to this Bill being made Law is not the justness of it’s cause… but the existence of the Maori Seats in Parliament that have been the preserve and Powerbase for Maori Racists, Radicals, and extremists over the past 50 years.
Being a constant thorn in the side of any government who is not pandering to their demands.
When seeking to challenge any aspect of racial separatism, it takes heroic strength. integrity, and fortitude to weather the storm of vitriol that blows from the Racists occupying the Maori seats, yet who also enjoy a wall of security… protected from facing the just retaliation from the Non-Maori New Zealander voters they slander and extort by the perversion of our democracy… The Race based Electoral Roll.
They can Lie, and slander, and disrespect the bulk of the New Zealand citizenry without regard… for the Non-Maori people have no means by which they can vote them out.
Appalled by this situation many Maori like myself who reject the vile politics of race are not registered on the Maori roll.
We choose to stand as equals beside our Non-Maori Countrymen on the General roll.
And most grievous of all. Very often the Separate Maori seats hold the balance of power and so the Separatists revel in the opportunity to play ‘king makers’.
They are able to exact a high price for their support, playing the National Party and Labour party off against each other.
In their frenzy for power National and Labour then engage in selling out the rest of New Zealand to the demands of those holding the Maori seats.
This is how the separatist Seats corrupt our entire democracy and keeps our nation perpetually divided, and Maori in a state of Grievance, victimhood, and welfare dependence.
There is no end to this is sight unless New Zealanders wake up and demand Parliament fixes this disgusting racist travesty.
Yet herein lies the dilemma.
Any Coalition Gov that would move to end this travesty as Act is doing with this Treaty Principles Bill that we are considering today… must contend with the huge backlash that will ensue from the racist radicals in the Maori seats.
Hikios from Hell.
Hakas in the house, etc.
Vandalism of colonial monuments, etc.
Terrorism that causes feeble Governments to falter.
To repeat my assertion I made above IMO the biggest hurdle to this Bill being made Law is not the justness of it’s cause… but the existence of the Maori Seats in Parliament.
This is where I call out New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon.
Luxon has already said he will not allow National party MP to support this Bill past this stage of the process.
He intends to sink this bill… without even considering Submissions made by the New Zealand Public!
What arrogance!
Luxon does not have the spine to weather the slanders and angst that he fears will be his fate should he support this Bill.
Luxon knows that if He supports this Bill that next election the Maori Radicals will support a Labour led coalition government… so he is not considering this Bill on its merits… but on what the consequences possibly could be for the National party should he support it.
Should he continue on this path not only is his position immoral, not only will it cement his name in NZ history as being yet another facilitator of racist politics… that shall be his legacy and I believe he is making a massive strategic political blunder!
He’s misreading the temper of the New Zealand Public!
We the people of New Zealand have had enough of living in a two tier race based society and We will not forgive Luxon and National for siding with Te Pati Maori against his own coalition partner Act.
New Zealand put this coalition in office to address this issue in the light of what Jacinda Ardern was doing with Three Waters and The He Pua Pua Report, and it is something he said he would do!
Yet now he is reneging on his commitment. We will not forget this.
Support will bleed away from National towards Act.
You can be certain of it.
This Bill puts Act in the ascendency.
National would do well to support it thereby shoring up their own support.
Luxon underestimates just how angry New Zealanders are with the way things have been going… turning our country into an Apartheid Nation.
We have had it with the lies and extortion and the brainwashing going on in ours schools… the falsifying of history to condition the next generations of Kiwi into accepting being rendered second class subjects in their own Country.
Luxon claims to be focused on the economy and deludes himself that he can ignore this Cancerous growth in our Nations side.
If he cared about social justice and the economic condition of Maori he would support this bill as the establishment of One Citizenship, One law for all is absolutely essential for social justice… the first step to ending Maori dependence on the welfare state and embracing the philosophy of Self reliance *as individuals* for their own betterment.
For they must pull themselves out of the mire by their own bootstraps… no longer clinging to the apron of Nanny State.
They must learn and embrace good values and work ethics… these are essential if they are to shrug off crime.
This Treaty Principles Bill if passed into law will be the first step in the road to establishing One Citizenship, One law for all.
Ie establishing Justice and ending the false Treaty principles and extortion that has grown up from them.
To follow will be the abolishment of the Maori Seats in Parliament and the Race Based Electoral system.
Maori Politicians then will have to stand for election on the general roll and be accountable to all the people of New Zealand for their policies and utterances.
As a Maori I look forward to that day and will take personal pride in having raised my voice in advocacy for the True principles of the Treaty of Waitangi.
That is the New Zealand I remember from my Childhood, and the New Zealand I wish to bequeath to my children’s children.
One New Zealand.
Equality for All.
Regards.
Tim Wikiriwhi.
More from Tim.
Big Hui: Kingites Plot Social Unrest To Maintain Racist Treaty separatism @ Turangawarwae .
A Submission In Opposition To The Electoral (Entrenchment Of Maori Seats) Amendment Bill
TIM WIKIRIWHI’S SUBMISSION TO THE NEW ZEALAND GOVERNMENT’S CONSTITUTIONAL REVIEW. 2013
MT EVEREST IS FOR WIMPS! LETS CONQUER APARTHEID GOVERNMENT IN NEW ZEALAND! A STRATEGY.
UNIVERSAL PRIDE IN WASHINGTON, SEPARATIST SHAME IN WELLINGTON.
Not all Black People are Poor.
Not all White people are Rich.
Not all Black people are criminals.
Not all White people are honest.
It’s a question of Values and ethics… not race.
Good values and ethics tends to Self responsibility. hard work, thrift and avoidance of Vice.
All this tends towards prosperity and higher quality of life. It tends towards being trusted… good business relations.
These people function well in freedom.
They vote pro-freedom… low taxes.
The person with poor values and ethics rarely has the integrity to admit their woes are mostly of their own doing… because of their own poor choices.
They rather tend to shift the blame onto others… and claim they are the victims of oppression.
It’s as simple as that.
They want government hand outs.
Statistics prove Black Americans, and Maori New Zealanders… lack Good values and ethics.
That is why they have terrible social statistics… not because of racial prejudice.
These sorry types are also preyed upon by Far left socialists who feed their envy and malice and use them as political footballs for their own political gains.
These ‘blamers’ vote far Left.
Blacks with good ethics rise above their peers.
Maori who migrate to Australia and elsewhere do well for themselves… because they tend to be individuals who are prepared to work for their own betterment rather than wallowing in self pity and blame.
Whites with poor Values and ethics suffer the same fate … they live in poverty… they tend towards crime… they blame others for their lot in life… and vote Left.
The other group of Left voting whites are the chumps who feel guilty about belonging to the demographic that enjoys the higher standards of living and believe the Leftist Bullshit that the reason they do so is because they belong to the ‘oppressor class’. They are too stupid to understand the dynamics of Freedom and Self responsibility.
Tim Wikiriwhi.
Christian Libertarian.
More from Tim…
Do Māori actually believe these antics enhance their standing or mana with the NZ public?
I suspect the answer is they don’t care…
I agree with Shane Jones
“Hit them in the pocket” pic.twitter.com/gw4eJkkc6I— Kiwiwayne2 ex Kiwiwayne1 (@kiwiwayne2) November 21, 2024
Te Pati Maori Radicals are a different breed of politician that only succeeds because of the apartheid electoral system which allows them to have no concerns about what the general public think about them. They don’t have to appeal to the general public to get elected. They only have to pander to the interests of a select section of the whole population and they gear their antics to that mindset… they are actors and performance artists… ‘let me sing you the song of my people’… type stuff.
The one thing these radicals fear *is a general referendum* because then… unlike the elections… there fate will be determined by *the general population* whom they have spent their careers slandering and poking their Tongues and Fingers at.
Binding referendums are a dangerous tool upon which there needs to be clear limits, yet *When a truly democratic process is allowed to take place… Their Politics is doomed*.
The only reason a referendum is called for on this issue is because Parliament is too feeble to make a sound judgement for the well being of the General public. The Law to rid New Zealand of every racist institution would never pass via parliament yet it is guaranteed to pass by popular referendum… which shows just how *non-representative* parliaments are when they are filled with unprincipled woke socialist Boneheads and cowards.
On this issue Seymour stands head and shoulders above the rest because his bill is founded upon Just and reasonable principles.
Not a single cogent nuanced argument has been leveled against his bill. (I can think of several arguments myself that would work far better than anything opposition MP have tabled)… and look at how pathetic Luxons rationale is as to why he is instructing National to oppose the bill!
Its yet another example of the shame and cowardice of the entire National party Caucus. If I was a National party MP I would lead a challenge against Luxon for this and I would refuse to reject the bill.
As for the haka…
There are already rules for behavior in the house. They just need to be enforced.
One thing is certain… The antics of Te Pati Maori in parliament have hurt the mana of the Haka in the eyes of the international community.
They are getting sick of it… they don’t appreciate it… and there is no valid reason why they should.
The Haka has been abused and this is sad.
I believe the haka has great value for New Zealanders when it is used at appropriate times… Less is more…. more is less. ‘More’ devalues it.
What the Maori Party did in parliament was blatant abuse.
Two Maori were contending in the house for their side of the debate. One behaved with Civility and made reasonable arguments. The other had no arguments but instead broke out into a frenzy and created a spectacle.
IMO one Maori (David Seymour) represents a modern day Maori of Mana and enlightenment… a man of Reason.
The other Maori (Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke) represents a delusion. A regressive caricature … trapped in the past… of a savage Age in which War and violence were how disputes were settled rather than via Reason and the rule of law.
So of these two Maori… which exemplifies a role model we would want today’s young Maori to emulate and aspire to be like?
The Savage or the Statesman?
When asked why she had broken out in the haka Hana said “that is all I know… to be Maori”.
That speaks a thousand words as to why she is unfit to be in parliament!
‘That is all she knows’…. and *That* is what she thinks *being Maori entails!* She’s absolutely delusional!
She has no vision for Maori to progress out of the trap of Maori radicalism by which Maori are expected to see themselves as noisy irrational savages locked in perpetual tribal warfare.
*Her only skill set is performance art*
*Her only politics is the politics of Race, victimism, and graft*
No wonder most Maori don’t vote Te Pati Maori.
Tim Wikiriwhi.
Christian Libertarian.
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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Related posts from Tim…
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)