The Treaty of Waitangi

Meaning and Signatories: A treaty refers to an agreement between two parties on certain predefined principles. The Treaty of Waitangi is called the foundation document of New Zealand. It was signed by the Maori Chiefs and the representatives of the Crown on 6^th February 1840.

How did it come about: The arrival of large number of British migrants and large scale and wrong land transaction between the settlers and the Maoris created chaos. On the other hand the French were also interested in annexing the country. So the crown felt that annexing New Zealand can protect the Maoris and check the British subjects from indulging in wrong and unjust practices with the native people.

Treaty Today: The increasing awareness of the terms of treaty has brought a turning effect in the history of New Zealand. The Maori with the support of Pakeha call for the terms of the treaty to be honored.  So the Waitangi Tribunal has been set up by the Government in 1975 to investigate Maori grievances and settle their claims dating back to 1840. Major settlement of claims was reached in 1992 and many are still in the process.

Relevancy to my work: The Treaty is relevant to my work. Being an educator or facilitator I must understand the culture, heritage and social values of my learners. The treaty has a major role in shaping the cultural, social, political and economical conditions of New Zealand. There it can be very helpful for me to increase my cultural competency. The deep knowledge of the treaty will help me to relate with my diverse learners.

Need Exploration: My knowledge about the treaty is confined to its signatories, the causative factors and a few steps taken by the government to protect the Maoris’ rights. I need to understand it deeply like terms of the treaty, the implementation of the terms and how does it influence the education policies of New Zealand.