The Treaty of Waitangi is Aotearoa New Zealand's founding document but there have long been disputes about what was actually agreed.
Chey, Anaha and Ani-Piki translate the English version of the treaty and suggest how they might have avoided all these years of conflict.
The Treaty of Waitangi was signed on February 6, 1984 by representatives of the Crown and about 540 Māori rangitira. But the written translation the Māori signed does not match the English version.
The Whakamāori crew discuss the original mistranslation and how they would have done it.
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TRANSLATIONS - printable version here
Nā Anaha Hiini
English
Article 1
The Chiefs of the Confederation of the United Tribes of New Zealand and the separate and independent Chiefs who have not become members of the Confederation cede to Her Majesty the Queen of England absolutely and without reservation all the rights and powers of Sovereignty which the said Confederation or Individual Chiefs respectively exercise or possess, or may be supposed to exercise or to possess over their respective Territories as the sole sovereigns thereof.
Whakamāori
Atikara 1
Me tuku e ngā rangatira o ngā iwi o te motu – me ngā rangatira motuhake o te motu kāore anō kia uru hei mema o te Whakaminenga – te rangatiratanga o ō rātau roherohenga whenua ki te Hōpara Makaurangi Manu Whakatau o te Kāhui Ariki, arā ki te Kuini o Ingarangi.
Nā Chey Milne
English
Article 2
Her Majesty the Queen of England confirms and guarantees to the Chiefs and Tribes of New Zealand and to the respective families and individuals thereof the full exclusive and undisturbed possession of their Lands and Estates Forests Fisheries and other properties which they may collectively or individually possess so long as it is their wish and desire to retain the same in their possession;
but the Chiefs of the United Tribes and the individual Chiefs yield to Her Majesty the exclusive right of Preemption over such lands as the proprietors thereof may be disposed to alienate at such prices as may be agreed upon between the respective Proprietors and persons appointed by Her Majesty to treat with them in that behalf.
Whakamāori
Atikara 2
Ka whakamana, ka oati hoki te Kuini o Ingarangi ki ngā rangatira o ngā hapū o Aotearoa, ki ā rātou whanau, me ngā mea takitahi, te mana motuhake me te rangatiratanga o ō rātou whenua, o ō rātou kāenga, o ō rātou takutai, o ngā rawa katoa anō hoki kai a rātou tonu, ā hapū mai, ā takitahi mai rānei mēnā e manako ana, e hiahia tonu ana rātou kia pupuri i ngā mea katoa kai a rātou.
Heoi anō, ka whakaae ngā rangatira ō te Kotahitanga o ngā hapu me ngā rangatira huri i te motu kāre e whai wāhi atu ki te whakaminenga, kia waiho mā te Kuini anake ō rātou whenua, ngā rawa kai a rātou, e hoko ki tā te rangatira - o te whenua, o ngā rawa e hoko atu ana – i whakatau tahi ai ki tētahi tangata, tāngata rānei ka whiriwhiria e te Kuini hai māngai mōna.
Nā Ani-Piki Tuari
English
Article 3
In consideration thereof Her Majesty the Queen of England extends to the Natives of New Zealand Her royal protection and imparts to them all the Rights and Privileges of British Subjects.
Now therefore We the Chiefs of the Confederation of the United Tribes of New Zealand being assembled in Congress at Victoria in Waitangi and We the Separate and Independent Chiefs of New Zealand claiming authority over the Tribes and Territories which are specified after our respective names, having been made fully to understand the Provisions of the foregoing Treaty, accept and enter into the same in the full spirit and meaning thereof in witness of which we have attached our signatures or marks at the places and the dates respectively specified.
Whakamāori
Atikara 3
Nā reira, i runga i ēnei whakaritenga, tēnei te toro o te ringa atawhai o te arikinui, te kūini o Ingarangi ki ngā tangata whenua o Niu Tīrini, kia noho ki raro I tōnā tauwhirotanga, ā, ka tukua hoki ki a rātou ngā tika me ngā āheinga a te iwi Pākeha.
Nō reira, ko mātou ko ngā rangatira o te whakaminenga o ngā iwi o Niu Tireni, e hui nei ki Wikitōria i Waitangi, ko mātou ko ngā Rangatira o ngā iwi me ngā takiwā kua tuhia ki te taha o aua ingoa. Kua āta whakamāramahia korero katoa kei roto I tēnei tiriti, ā, e whakaae ana ki tēnei whakaritenga. Anei, mātou e kite ana ā kanohi I te tānga o ā mātou waitohu, moko raini, te wāhi me te rā anō hoki.
- Treaty of Waitangi
Made for RNZ by Arataua
