Hey guys!
I have been learning about the treaty of Waitangi!
And here is an article about it:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Treaty Of Waitangi!
The treaty of Waitangi is the founding document of New Zealand. It is three articles long, and it was signed at Waitangi, in the Bay of Islands, on the 6th of February, and it has been a public holiday since 1947.
The treaty of Waitangi documents.
The British crown and over 540 Maori cheifs, including 13 women, signed the treaty. To make it easier to sign, Lieutenant Henry Williams converted the treaty into Maori, so that the Maori could sign it without being confused, and the British signed the English version.
A Maori person signing the treaty.
As I said, the treaty consists of 3 articles. Number 1 says that, in the maori version of the treaty, that Queen Victoria could maintain and look after NZ, but the maori cheifs and kings were sill the rulers, but in the English version, it meant that Queen Victoria was now the ruler of NZ. So that was a misunderstanding. Number 2 says, in the maori treaty, that the maori cheifs were the rulers of the maori villages, but it also gave permission for the British to buy land of them. In the English version, it meant that the Maori could fish, hunt and do many other things, and it also said that the British could by land of the Maori. And number number 3 said that, in both treaties, that the Maori had the Quenns protection and the same rights as the British.
The New Zealand crown.
The British crown were the monarchy of the United Kingdom. The treaty meant that the Maori would let British settlers settle in New Zealand. That was also why it was important, because otherwise, the British couldn't come and build their own goverment and they couldn't settle there. Back then, the maori outnumbered the British by at least 10,000 people! But that quickly changed.
The treaty house, where the treaty os being held.
The reason is, when the British first came, not many volunteered, so there weren't a lot of people that came. And as I said, the maori outnumbered them by 10,000. But, after the treaty was signed, as the treaty meant that British settlers could settle in NZ, lots more British people started to come and started to settle. You would think that it would be hard to find land if the maori had already taken up all of NZ, right? Well, that's not entirely true. The British had a way around it. They bought land off Maori land owners for British money, or pounds. In a few years, all of the south island and one quater of the north island had been bought by the British.
British ships.
Soon enough, the British made a goverment, and we all lived together. The rules of the treaty still apply today. That is why we can all live in peace and harmony.
The End!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I hope you liked my article!
See you next time!
Maya.
