United Tribes of New Zealand
The United Tribes of New Zealand was a confederation of Māori tribes based in the north of the North Island, existing legally from 1835 to 1840. It received diplomatic recognition from the United Kingdom, which shortly thereafter annexed it under the Treaty of Waitangi, an event that has largely shaped relations between the government of New Zealand and the Māori people since the 1960s.
New Zealand in 1832
New Zealand United Tribes flag, 1833–1835, drawn by Nicholas Charles Phillips of the man-of-war HMS Alligator
The flag pole at Waitangi, flying (left – right) the Flag of the United Tribes of New Zealand, the Ensign of the Royal New Zealand Navy and the Union Flag, 5 February 2006
The Treaty of Waitangi, sometimes referred to as Te Tiriti, is a document of central importance to the history of New Zealand, its constitution, and its national mythos. It has played a major role in the treatment of the Māori people in New Zealand by successive governments and the wider population, something that has been especially prominent from the late 20th century. The treaty document is an agreement, not a treaty as recognised in international law, and has no independent legal status, being legally effective only to the extent it is recognised in various statutes. It was first signed on 6 February 1840 by Captain William Hobson as consul for the British Crown and by Māori chiefs from the North Island of New Zealand.
The Waitangi Sheet of the Treaty of Waitangi
James Busby, British Resident in New Zealand. He drafted a document known as the Declaration of the Independence of New Zealand.
Captain William Hobson
Rev Henry Williams, who translated the treaty into Māori with the help of his son Edward Marsh Williams.
