Chiefs give the Queen kāwanatanga (governorship) over their country.
Māori understanding: Governorship over Pākehā settlers, not over Māori.
The Queen guarantees Māori tino rangatiratanga (absolute chieftainship) over their lands, villages, and all their treasures.
Māori understanding: Full sovereignty and authority over their own people and resources.
The Queen gives Māori the same rights as British subjects.
Māori understanding: Additional protection, not replacement of existing rights.
Chiefs cede completely to the Queen all the rights and powers of sovereignty.
Crown understanding: Māori give up all political power to British Crown.
The Queen guarantees Māori possession of their lands and properties and gives them exclusive right to sell land to the Crown.
Crown understanding: Property rights, but under Crown sovereignty.
The Queen extends to Māori Royal protection and all rights and privileges of British subjects.
Crown understanding: Māori become British subjects under Crown law.
Key Issue: Māori and Crown representatives signed different documents with different meanings!
Purpose: Help students compare the English and te reo Māori versions of Te Tiriti to understand the significance of linguistic and legal differences.
Students will engage with this resource to build understanding of systems, governance, and civic action in Aotearoa New Zealand, connecting to Te Ao Māori principles.
While the English text transferred "sovereignty," the Māori text guaranteed tino rangatiratanga over lands, villages, and treasures. Understanding this difference is central to understanding contemporary Māori political action.
Differentiation: Provide sentence starters or word banks for students who need scaffold support. Extend capable learners by asking them to find a real-world NZ example connected to this resource. Support ELL students with vocabulary pre-teaching. Adapt for neurodiverse learners by offering choice in how they record their thinking.
Prior knowledge: Best used after the relevant lesson or as an introductory hook. No specialist prior knowledge required.