Father Gerard Burns
On 6 February 1840, the British Crown signed a treaty with Māori chiefs at Waitangi in the north of New Zealand. The British understood that the chiefs ceded their sovereignty and other things to the British Crown. The chiefs, signing the treaty in their own language, did not do that, but rather gave permission to the British Crown to take over some aspects of government in the country.
The chiefs believed there would be some equal, collaborative partnership between themselves and the Crown. They were guaranteed full possession of their lands, forests, and fisheries (key economic and subsistence elements).
This did not happen, and after 20 years, when Māori stopped selling land to settlers, the Crown sent troops into ‘rebellious’ areas to achieve military conquest. This finally established full Crown rule over the land.
Waitangi Day commemorates the treaty signing in 1849 and is the national day and recognizes the treaty as a constitutional document for the country. Since the 1970s, the treaty has been resuscitated, and successive governments made some reparations to tribes for injustices, land loss, and marginalization.
At the same time, there has been a cultural revival so that Māori language and practices are increasingly incorporated into general social life. This has not pleased everyone, and there are currently attempts to roll this process back.
Many have spoken of the Treaty as a covenant between peoples. As such, it should not be altered unilaterally.
Father Gerard “Gerry” Burns is a member of RAOEN’s Steering Committee and serves as Parish Priest of St Francis of Assisi Ohariu Parish and Administrator of Te Ngākau Tapu Parish in Wellington, New Zealand.
For more information on Te Tiriti o Waitangi, please visit Te Papa Tongarewa (Museum of New Zealand).