Change and Context: Another Look at the Treaty of Waitangi

The Treaty of Waitangi (Te Tiriti) is the founding document of our national identity. Traditionally understood as conveying full sovereignty to the Crown, today it is viewed as creating some form of co-sovereign partnership. Which is correct? If we are to ‘Honour the Treaty,’ we must first understand it. To promote an incorrect reading is to dishonour the Treaty. To write the wrong interpretation into a national Constitution would be an enduring mistake. This book examines the Treaty in its historical context relative to the Declaration of Independence. It assesses the contextual use of the terms rangatiratanga and kāwanatanga in those documents, reviews the idealism and intent of the Treaty of Waitangi, reflects on how it was understood in 1840, and considers how and why it fell short in practical application. Having reviewed the impact of colonial policies, the book then presents an evidence-based challenge to modern ideas of co-sovereignty and partnership. Finally, it asks how we can honour the Treaty going forward in the way its signatories intended, as different cultures comprising one nation.