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Te Tiriti o Waitangi / The Treaty of Waitangi

Understanding the Founding Document of Aotearoa

He aha te Tiriti? (What is the Treaty?)

The Treaty of Waitangi is an agreement signed in 1840 by representatives of the British Crown and many Māori chiefs (rangatira). It is considered New Zealand's founding document and plays a central role in the relationship between Māori and the Crown.

Two Versions, Big Differences

The English Version

  • Article 1: Māori chiefs gave the Queen "all the rights and powers of Sovereignty".
  • Article 2: Guaranteed Māori "full exclusive and undisturbed possession of their Lands and Estates, Forests, Fisheries and other properties".
  • Article 3: Gave Māori the same rights as British subjects.

The Te Reo Māori Version

  • Article 1: Māori chiefs gave the Queen "kāwanatanga" (governance).
  • Article 2: Guaranteed Māori "tino rangatiratanga" (absolute chieftainship) over their lands, villages, and all their treasures ("taonga").
  • Article 3: Gave Māori the same rights as British people.

The Three "P's"

Today, the relationship between the Crown and Māori is guided by the principles of the Treaty, often summarised as the three "P's".

Partnership

Māori and the Crown must work together on issues of common concern.

Protection

The Crown must protect Māori rights, including their language and culture.

Participation

Māori must be able to participate in decision-making that affects them.

Whakaarohia (Thinking Point) 🤔

A local council proposes building a new road through land that a local iwi considers a wāhi tapu (sacred site). How could the Three Principles of the Treaty be applied to this situation?

Partnership: How should the council and iwi work together here?

Protection: What does the council have a duty to protect in this scenario?

Participation: What would meaningful participation for the iwi look like?

📋 Teacher Planning Snapshot

Ngā Whāinga Ako — Learning Intentions

Students will engage with this resource to deepen understanding of Te Ao Māori — exploring whakapapa, tikanga, and cultural identity as living systems that shape who we are in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Ngā Paearu Angitū — Success Criteria

  • ✅ Students can explain key concepts from this resource using their own words.
  • ✅ Students can connect tikanga Māori and whakapapa to real-world examples in Aotearoa.

Differentiation & Inclusion

Scaffold support: Provide sentence starters, visual glossaries, or graphic organisers to give entry-level access for students who need additional support. Offer extension tasks that deepen cultural inquiry — for example, exploring local hapū histories or interviewing a kaumātua.

ELL / ESOL: Pre-teach key kupu Māori (whakapapa, tikanga, mana, mauri) with bilingual glossaries where available. Allow students to respond in their home language as a bridge to English expression.

Inclusion: Use accessible formats — clear headings, adequate whitespace, chunked tasks. Neurodiverse learners benefit from structured choice in how they demonstrate understanding (oral, visual, written). Acknowledge that students may hold personal connections to the cultural content.

Mātauranga Māori lens: This unit centres Te Ao Māori as a living knowledge system. Whakapapa is not merely genealogy but a relational framework linking people, place, and time. Tikanga grounds behaviour in kaupapa Māori principles. Approach content with aroha and manaakitanga.

Prior knowledge: No specialist prior knowledge required for entry-level engagement. Best used after relevant lesson sequences, or as a standalone introduction to cultural identity.

Curriculum alignment

  • Identity, Culture, and Organisation: Understand how cultural identity shapes participation in society — whakapapa, tikanga, and mana as foundations of Māori identity in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Curriculum alignment