# Canonical recap data for Treaty of Waitangi (1840)
# Source: https://recap.at/1840/treaty-of-waitangi
# Format: YAML 1.2 (UTF-8). Generated at request time.
slug: treaty-of-waitangi
canonicalUrl: "https://recap.at/1840/treaty-of-waitangi"
title: Treaty of Waitangi
aliases:
- Te Tiriti o Waitangi
- The founding document of New Zealand
- Waitangi Day
- The broken treaty
subtitle: ""
recapType: global_event
eventStatus: concluded
startDate: 1840-01-01
datePrecision: year
year: 1840
decade: 1840
country:
name: New Zealand
slug: new-zealand
summaryShort: On February 6, 1840, representatives of the British Crown and Māori chiefs signed a document intended to establish British sovereignty over New Zealand. It became the nation's founding treaty-and a century-long source of conflict over what it actually promised.
summaryLong: |-
  On February 6, 1840, William Hobson, the newly appointed Lieutenant-Governor of New Zealand, sat down with Māori chiefs at Waitangi to sign a treaty that would, in theory, settle Britain's relationship with the indigenous population. The document came in three versions: an English original, a Māori translation, and a separate declaration. Within weeks, hundreds of chiefs had signed copies distributed across the islands. What looked like a clean transfer of governance was anything but.

  The English version granted Britain sovereignty over New Zealand in exchange for guarantees: Māori would retain their lands unless they chose to sell them to the Crown, and they'd receive the same rights as British subjects. The Māori translation, however, rendered "sovereignty" as "kawanatanga"-governance-a word that didn't carry the same meaning of absolute authority. When Māori chiefs signed, many believed they were accepting a British governor while retaining their own chieftaincy and control of their lands. The British believed they'd acquired the islands outright.

  For the next 130 years, the treaty's significance withered. New Zealand's government largely ignored it, and the document itself was shelved in dusty archives. Successive waves of land confiscation-including the massive alienation of Māori territory during the 1860s wars and afterward-rendered the treaty's guarantees meaningless on the ground. By the early 20th century, few Pākehā (European New Zealanders) even knew it existed.

  The treaty's resurrection began in the 1970s, when Māori activists, led by figures like Dame Whina Cooper and later the Waitangi Action Committee, forced the government to reckon with the document's original intent. In 1975, Prime Minister Norman Kirk established the Waitangi Tribunal to investigate breaches of the treaty. That institution, strengthened in 1985 to examine historical claims, became the machinery through which decades of land theft, language suppression, and institutional racism could finally be documented and (partially) redressed.

  Today, the treaty remains legally and politically contested. It's simultaneously invoked as a founding document and dismissed as a historical curiosity, depending on who's speaking. February 6 is a public holiday in New Zealand, though its observance-and what the treaty actually means-remains unresolved in ways that shape contemporary debates over resource ownership, language rights, and what decolonization might actually require.
lede: "In February 1840, British officials and Māori chiefs signed a treaty in a small New Zealand settlement that was supposed to clarify who governed the islands and who owned the land. The problem: they signed different versions in different languages, and disagreed fundamentally on what the words meant. The treaty became New Zealand's most consequential unfinished business."
heroImageUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/87/Treatyofwaitangi.jpg/1280px-Treatyofwaitangi.jpg"
heroImageCredit: Wikipedia · "Treaty of Waitangi"
importance: 50
sourceConfidence: 50
keyFacts:
- label: Date signed
  value: February 6, 1840
- label: Location
  value: Waitangi, Bay of Islands, New Zealand
- label: British signatory
  value: William Hobson, Lieutenant-Governor
- label: Number of Māori chiefs who signed
  value: Around 500, over several weeks
- label: Languages of the treaty
  value: English, Māori, and a separate English declaration
- label: Decades until treaty became legally significant again
  value: 130+ years (revived 1970s)
- label: Year Waitangi Tribunal established
  value: "1975"
- label: Year Tribunal given power to investigate historical claims
  value: "1985"
timeline:
- date: 1840-02-06
  title: Treaty signed at Waitangi
  description: William Hobson and the first group of Māori chiefs sign the treaty at Waitangi in the Bay of Islands. Multiple copies in English and Māori begin circulating for wider signature.
- date: 1840-02-12
  title: Declaration of Independence signed
  description: Thirty-four Māori chiefs sign the Declaration of Independence in Waitangi, asserting Māori sovereignty-a document that predates but complements the treaty.
- date: 1860-01-01
  title: Land Wars begin
  description: Conflict erupts over land rights and sovereignty in the Waikato region, exposing the treaty's failure as a governing framework and beginning decades of Māori dispossession.
- date: 1975-09-01
  title: Waitangi Tribunal established
  description: Prime Minister Norman Kirk creates the Waitangi Tribunal to investigate breaches of the treaty, beginning its resurrection as a legal and political document.
- date: 1985-06-28
  title: Tribunal gains retrospective power
  description: The government amends the Treaty of Waitangi Act, allowing the Tribunal to investigate historical claims dating back to 1840, not just recent breaches.
- date: 1987-12-21
  title: Treaty becomes part of common law
  description: The Court of Appeal recognizes the treaty as a legal document that can be enforced in New Zealand courts, cementing its modern legal significance.
sources: []
related: []
gallery:
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/87/Treatyofwaitangi.jpg/1280px-Treatyofwaitangi.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/87/Treatyofwaitangi.jpg/800px-Treatyofwaitangi.jpg"
  caption: Treatyofwaitangi
  credit: William Hobson, James Freeman, and James Busby (English version); Henry Williams and Edward Williams (Māori translation)
  width: 3091
  height: 5788
  alt: A historical handwritten document on aged, damaged parchment showing the Treaty of Waitangi, featuring cursive script text arranged in multiple columns with various signatures and marks scattered throughout the page.
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/23/Te_Tiriti_o_Waitangi_-_The_Treaty_of_Waitangi_%281840%29_-_Waitangi_Sheet_.jpg/1280px-Te_Tiriti_o_Waitangi_-_The_Treaty_of_Waitangi_%281840%29_-_Waitangi_Sheet_.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/23/Te_Tiriti_o_Waitangi_-_The_Treaty_of_Waitangi_%281840%29_-_Waitangi_Sheet_.jpg/800px-Te_Tiriti_o_Waitangi_-_The_Treaty_of_Waitangi_%281840%29_-_Waitangi_Sheet_.jpg"
  caption: Te Tiriti o Waitangi - The Treaty of Waitangi (1840) - Waitangi Sheet
  credit: Archives New Zealand
  width: 3091
  height: 5788
  alt: A historical handwritten document on aged parchment displaying the Treaty of Waitangi from 1840, with dense script in English and Māori text covering multiple pages arranged vertically, showing significant wear, staining, and damaged edges characteristic of a nineteenth-century treaty document.
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ed/Treaty_of_Waitangi_%E2%80%93_Sheet_4_%E2%80%93_The_Printed_Sheet.jpg/1280px-Treaty_of_Waitangi_%E2%80%93_Sheet_4_%E2%80%93_The_Printed_Sheet.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ed/Treaty_of_Waitangi_%E2%80%93_Sheet_4_%E2%80%93_The_Printed_Sheet.jpg/800px-Treaty_of_Waitangi_%E2%80%93_Sheet_4_%E2%80%93_The_Printed_Sheet.jpg"
  caption: Treaty of Waitangi – Sheet 4 – The Printed Sheet
  credit: Archives New Zealand
  width: 1493
  height: 2362
  alt: A historical printed document in the Maori language containing the fourth sheet of the Treaty of Waitangi, signed by William Hobson as Consul and Lieutenant-Governor, with the text printed by the Church Missionary Society press in Paihhia.
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/06/Waitangi_Sheet%2C_Te_Tiriti_o_Waitangi_%2815858996150%29.jpg/1280px-Waitangi_Sheet%2C_Te_Tiriti_o_Waitangi_%2815858996150%29.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/06/Waitangi_Sheet%2C_Te_Tiriti_o_Waitangi_%2815858996150%29.jpg/800px-Waitangi_Sheet%2C_Te_Tiriti_o_Waitangi_%2815858996150%29.jpg"
  caption: Waitangi Sheet, Te Tiriti o Waitangi (15858996150)
  credit: Archives New Zealand from New Zealand
  width: 3091
  height: 5788
  alt: A historical handwritten document on aged, deteriorating parchment shows the Treaty of Waitangi with multiple pages of handwritten text in English and Te Reo Māori, featuring signatures and official seals at the bottom, representing the foundational 1840 treaty between the British Crown and Māori chiefs in New Zealand.
culturalContext:
topMusic: []
topFilms: []
topTVShows: []
zeitgeistNote: In 1840, European romantic nationalism and imperial expansion were ascendant; the treaty reflected both Enlightenment universalism (all signatories as equals) and colonial contradiction (sovereignty meant to flow one direction). By the 2020s, New Zealand's bicultural framework and the Waitangi Tribunal have made the treaty a genuine-if contested-foundation for national identity and redress, sitting at the center of debates over land rights, education reform, and Māori autonomy.
impactStatement: On February 6, 1840, British officials and Māori chiefs signed the Treaty of Waitangi in a small settlement on New Zealand's Bay of Islands. It was meant to establish British sovereignty while protecting Māori rights-but the English and Te Reo Māori versions contained material differences that shaped centuries of dispute and dispossession.
consequences:
- title: Māori Land Confiscation Begins
  year: 1860
  description: Within two decades of the treaty, Māori lost vast tracts of land through the Land Court system established by the Crown. By 1975, Māori owned less than 3% of New Zealand's total land area.
- title: New Zealand Wars (Land Wars)
  year: 1845
  description: Armed conflicts erupted as Māori resisted Crown encroachment on their territory, beginning with Hone Hika's rebellion and continuing through the 1870s. The wars killed thousands and consolidated European control.
- title: Māori Population Collapse
  year: 1850
  description: Disease, warfare, and social disruption decimated Māori numbers from roughly 100,000 in 1840 to around 42,000 by 1896-a decline of over 50%.
- title: Waitangi Tribunal Established
  year: 1975
  description: New Zealand created the Waitangi Tribunal to investigate breaches of the treaty and recommend remedies. It became a mechanism for Māori to formally contest Crown violations.
- title: Treaty Settlements and Redress Begin
  year: 1992
  description: The Crown began negotiating formal settlements with iwi (tribal) groups. By 2024, over $3 billion has been allocated in compensation, though disputes over adequacy persist.
categories:
- war
metaDescription: 1840 agreement between British Crown and Māori chiefs. Promised protection of Māori rights and land, but English/Māori versions differed sharply. Foundation of modern NZ, still contested.
relationships:
- targetSlug: first-opium-war
  type: happened_during
  confidence: 85
  evidence: Treaty of Waitangi signed February 6, 1840, during the First Opium War (1840–1842), both part of Britain's imperial expansion in the Pacific and Asia simultaneously.
  source: ai
- targetSlug: women-suffrage-new-zealand-1919
  type: evolved_into
  confidence: 78
  evidence: Waitangi established Crown-Māori governance framework that, despite breaches, created institutional precedent for Māori political participation leading to New Zealand's 1919 women's suffrage expansion including Māori women.
  source: ai
- targetSlug: american-declaration-independence
  type: caused_by
  confidence: 75
  evidence: Timeline of "Treaty of Waitangi" references "American Declaration of Independence" (2 shared tokens incl. title anchor).
  source: ai
- targetSlug: 1896-athens-olympics
  type: caused
  confidence: 75
  evidence: Timeline of "Treaty of Waitangi" references "First Olympic Games of the modern era" (2 shared tokens incl. title anchor).
  source: ai
- targetSlug: universal-declaration-human-rights-1948
  type: caused
  confidence: 75
  evidence: Timeline of "Treaty of Waitangi" references "UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted" (2 shared tokens incl. title anchor).
  source: ai
geo:
lat: -41.5000831
lng: 172.8344077
place: New Zealand
note: Location inferred from recap.country via OSM Nominatim.
significance: 25
heroImageAlt: A historical handwritten document on aged, damaged parchment showing the Treaty of Waitangi, featuring cursive script text arranged in multiple columns with various signatures and marks scattered throughout the page.
translations:
es:
lede: "En febrero de 1840, funcionarios británicos y jefes māori firmaron un tratado en un pequeño asentamiento de Nueva Zelanda que se suponía aclaraba quién gobernaba las islas y quién era propietario de la tierra. El problema: firmaron versiones diferentes en idiomas diferentes y discreparon fundamentalmente sobre lo que las palabras significaban. El tratado se convirtió en el asunto inconcluso más consecuente de Nueva Zelanda."
summaryShort: El 6 de febrero de 1840, representantes de la Corona Británica y jefes māori firmaron un documento destinado a establecer la soberanía británica sobre Nueva Zelanda. Se convirtió en el tratado fundacional de la nación y en una fuente de conflicto durante un siglo sobre lo que realmente prometía.
summaryLong: |-
  El 6 de febrero de 1840, William Hobson, el Teniente Gobernador recién designado de Nueva Zelanda, se reunió con jefes māori en Waitangi para firmar un tratado que, en teoría, resolvería la relación de Gran Bretaña con la población indígena. El documento existía en tres versiones: un original en inglés, una traducción māori y una declaración separada. En cuestión de semanas, cientos de jefes habían firmado copias distribuidas por las islas. Lo que parecía una transferencia clara de gobierno fue cualquier cosa menos eso.

  La versión en inglés otorgaba a Gran Bretaña soberanía sobre Nueva Zelanda a cambio de garantías: los māori conservarían sus tierras a menos que eligieran venderlas a la Corona, y recibirían los mismos derechos que los súbditos británicos. La traducción māori, sin embargo, representaba "soberanía" como "kawanatanga", gobernanza, una palabra que no llevaba el mismo significado de autoridad absoluta. Cuando los jefes māori firmaron, muchos creían que estaban aceptando un gobernador británico mientras retenían su propia jefatura y control de sus tierras. Los británicos creían que habían adquirido las islas completamente.

  Durante los siguientes 130 años, la importancia del tratado se marchitó. El gobierno de Nueva Zelanda lo ignoró en gran medida y el documento fue archivado en polvorientos depósitos. Las sucesivas olas de confiscación de tierras, incluida la masiva enajenación del territorio māori durante las guerras de los años 1860 y después, hicieron que las garantías del tratado carecieran de significado sobre el terreno. A principios del siglo XX, pocos Pākehā (neozelandeses europeos) ni siquiera sabían que existía.

  La resurrección del tratado comenzó en los años 1970, cuando activistas māori, liderados por figuras como Dame Whina Cooper y posteriormente por el Waitangi Action Committee, obligaron al gobierno a enfrentarse con la intención original del documento. En 1975, el Primer Ministro Norman Kirk estableció el Waitangi Tribunal para investigar incumplimientos del tratado. Esa institución, fortalecida en 1985 para examinar reclamaciones históricas, se convirtió en el mecanismo a través del cual décadas de robo de tierras, supresión del idioma y racismo institucional pudieron ser finalmente documentados y (parcialmente) reparados.

  Hoy en día, el tratado permanece legal y políticamente controvertido. Se invoca simultáneamente como un documento fundacional y se descarta como una curiosidad histórica, dependiendo de quién hable. El 6 de febrero es festivo en Nueva Zelanda, aunque su observancia y lo que el tratado realmente significa permanecen sin resolver de formas que moldean los debates contemporáneos sobre propiedad de recursos, derechos lingüísticos y lo que la descolonización podría realmente requerir.
generatedAt: "2026-06-03T21:43:57.034Z"
fr:
lede: "En février 1840, des représentants britanniques et des chefs maori ont signé un traité dans un petit établissement de la Nouvelle-Zélande censé clarifier qui gouvernait les îles et qui en possédait les terres. Le problème : ils ont signé différentes versions dans différentes langues et ont fondamentalement divergé sur le sens des paroles. Le traité est devenu l'affaire inachevée la plus importante de la Nouvelle-Zélande."
summaryShort: Le 6 février 1840, des représentants de la Couronne britannique et des chefs maori ont signé un document destiné à établir la souveraineté britannique sur la Nouvelle-Zélande. Il devint le traité fondateur de la nation et une source de conflit pendant un siècle sur ce qu'il promettait réellement.
summaryLong: |-
  Le 6 février 1840, William Hobson, le lieutenant-gouverneur nouvellement nommé de la Nouvelle-Zélande, s'est réuni avec des chefs maori à Waitangi pour signer un traité qui devait, en théorie, régler la relation de la Grande-Bretagne avec la population autochtone. Le document existait en trois versions : l'original en anglais, une traduction en maori et une déclaration séparée. En quelques semaines, des centaines de chefs avaient signé des copies distribuées dans les îles. Ce qui ressemblait à un transfert net de gouvernance n'en était rien.

  La version anglaise accordait à la Grande-Bretagne la souveraineté sur la Nouvelle-Zélande en échange de garanties : les Maori conserveraient leurs terres s'ils choisissaient de ne pas les vendre à la Couronne, et ils recevraient les mêmes droits que les sujets britanniques. La traduction maori, cependant, rendait « souveraineté » par « kawanatanga »-gouvernance-un mot qui ne portait pas le même sens d'autorité absolue. Lorsque les chefs maori ont signé, beaucoup croyaient accepter un gouverneur britannique tout en conservant leur propre chefferie et le contrôle de leurs terres. Les Britanniques croyaient avoir acquis les îles entièrement.

  Pendant les 130 années suivantes, l'importance du traité a diminué. Le gouvernement de la Nouvelle-Zélande l'a largement ignoré, et le document lui-même a été rangé dans des archives poussiéreuses. Des vagues successives de confiscation de terres-y compris l'aliénation massive du territoire maori pendant les guerres des années 1860 et après-ont rendu les garanties du traité sans sens sur le terrain. Au début du 20e siècle, peu de Pākehā (Néo-Zélandais d'origine européenne) savaient même qu'il existait.

  La résurrection du traité a commencé dans les années 1970, lorsque des militants maori, menés par des personnalités comme Dame Whina Cooper et plus tard le Waitangi Action Committee, ont forcé le gouvernement à tenir compte de l'intention originelle du document. En 1975, le Premier ministre Norman Kirk a établi le Waitangi Tribunal pour enquêter sur les violations du traité. Cette institution, renforcée en 1985 pour examiner les réclamations historiques, est devenue le mécanisme par lequel des décennies de vol de terres, de suppression de la langue et de racisme institutionnel ont finalement pu être documentées et (partiellement) réparées.

  Aujourd'hui, le traité reste légalement et politiquement contesté. Il est invoqué simultanément comme un document fondateur et rejeté comme une curiosité historique, selon qui parle. Le 6 février est un jour férié en Nouvelle-Zélande, bien que son observance-et ce que le traité signifie réellement-reste non résolu d'une manière qui façonne les débats contemporains sur la propriété des ressources, les droits linguistiques et ce que la décolonisation pourrait réellement exiger.
generatedAt: "2026-06-03T21:44:03.781Z"
de:
lede: "Im Februar 1840 unterzeichneten britische Beamte und Māori-Häuptlinge einen Vertrag in einer kleinen neuseeländischen Siedlung, der klären sollte, wer die Inseln regiert und wem das Land gehört. Das Problem: Sie unterzeichneten verschiedene Versionen in unterschiedlichen Sprachen und waren sich grundlegend uneinig über die Bedeutung der Worte. Der Vertrag wurde Neuseelands folgenreichstes unvollendetes Geschäft."
summaryShort: Am 6. Februar 1840 unterzeichneten Vertreter der britischen Krone und Māori-Häuptlinge ein Dokument, das die britische Souveränität über Neuseeland etablieren sollte. Es wurde zum Gründungsvertrag der Nation – und zur Quelle von Konflikten über ein Jahrhundert hinweg über das, was er tatsächlich versprach.
summaryLong: |-
  Am 6. Februar 1840 setzte sich William Hobson, der neu ernannte Generalleutnant-Gouverneur Neuseelands, mit Māori-Häuptlingen in Waitangi zusammen, um einen Vertrag zu unterzeichnen, der Großbritanniens Beziehung zur indigenen Bevölkerung theoretisch regeln sollte. Das Dokument existierte in drei Versionen: ein englisches Original, eine Māori-Übersetzung und eine separate Erklärung. Innerhalb von Wochen hatten Hunderte von Häuptlingen Kopien unterzeichnet, die über die Inseln verteilt wurden. Was wie eine saubere Machtübergabe aussah, war alles andere als das.

  Die englische Version gewährte Großbritannien die Souveränität über Neuseeland im Austausch für Garantien: Māori würden ihr Land behalten, es sei denn, sie beschlossen, es an die Krone zu verkaufen, und sie würden die gleichen Rechte wie britische Untertanen erhalten. Die Māori-Übersetzung jedoch übersetzte "Souveränität" mit "kawanatanga" – Governance – ein Wort, das nicht die gleiche Bedeutung absoluter Autorität trug. Als Māori-Häuptlinge unterzeichneten, glaubten viele, dass sie einen britischen Gouverneur akzeptierten, während sie ihre eigene Häuptlingschaft und Kontrolle über ihre Länder behielten. Die Briten glaubten, die Inseln ganz erworben zu haben.

  Für die nächsten 130 Jahre schwand die Bedeutung des Vertrags. Neuseelands Regierung ignorierte ihn weitgehend, und das Dokument selbst wurde in staubigen Archiven verstaut. Aufeinanderfolgende Wellen von Landenteignung – einschließlich der massiven Entfremdung von Māori-Territorium während der Kriege der 1860er Jahre und danach – machten die Garantien des Vertrags vor Ort bedeutungslos. Anfang des 20. Jahrhunderts kannten ihn nur wenige Pākehā (europäische Neuseeländer).

  Die Wiederauferstehung des Vertrags begann in den 1970er Jahren, als Māori-Aktivisten, angeführt von Figuren wie Dame Whina Cooper und später dem Waitangi Action Committee, die Regierung zwangen, sich mit der ursprünglichen Absicht des Dokuments auseinanderzusetzen. 1975 etablierte Premierminister Norman Kirk das Waitangi Tribunal, um Vertragsverletzungen zu untersuchen. Diese Institution, 1985 gestärkt, um historische Ansprüche zu prüfen, wurde zum Werkzeug, durch das Jahrzehnte von Landraub, Sprachunterdrückung und institutionellem Rassismus endlich dokumentiert und (teilweise) wiedergutgemacht werden konnten.

  Heute bleibt der Vertrag rechtlich und politisch umstritten. Er wird gleichzeitig als Gründungsdokument angerufen und als historische Kuriosität abgetan, je nachdem, wer spricht. Der 6. Februar ist in Neuseeland ein Feiertag, doch seine Begehung – und was der Vertrag tatsächlich bedeutet – bleibt in Weise ungelöst, die zeitgenössische Debatten über Ressourceneigentum, Sprachrechte und was Dekolonisierung tatsächlich erfordern könnte, prägen.
generatedAt: "2026-06-03T21:44:11.932Z"
comparisonThenNow:
- metric: Māori land ownership
  thenValue: ~95% of New Zealand land
  thenYear: 1840
  nowValue: ~3-4% of New Zealand land
  nowYear: 2024
  note: Dispossession accelerated through the Native Land Acts (1862-1909) and subsequent legislation
- metric: Māori population
  thenValue: ~100,000
  thenYear: 1840
  nowValue: ~1.1 million (17.6% of total population)
  nowYear: 2023
  note: Population collapsed to ~42,000 by 1896 due to disease and conflict before recovering
- metric: Official treaty interpretations
  thenValue: English version prioritized; Māori version terms largely ignored
  thenYear: 1840
  nowValue: Treaty of Waitangi Act 1975 established Waitangi Tribunal; both versions now legally considered
  nowYear: 1975
  note: Discrepancies between English and Māori texts remain subject of ongoing dispute
- metric: Māori life expectancy gap vs European New Zealanders
  thenValue: Not systematically measured; significant disparity evident
  thenYear: 1840
  nowValue: ~7-8 years lower
  nowYear: 2023
  note: Health inequality persists despite modern healthcare infrastructure
- metric: Treaty settlements (financial redress)
  thenValue: None; treaty largely unenforced for 135 years
  thenYear: 1840
  nowValue: $3.7 billion+ distributed through 1975-2024 settlements
  nowYear: 2024
  note: Ngāi Tahu (1997), Tainui (1995), and others; settlements remain contested as adequate
relatedQueries:
- Treaty of Waitangi text English vs Māori translation differences
- Waitangi Tribunal decisions and iwi settlements
- Native Land Acts dispossession timeline
- Māori sovereignty and self-determination movements
- Treaty principles New Zealand law
- February 6 Waitangi Day protests
- Crown-Māori relations co-governance
- Land back New Zealand progress
taxonomy:
domain: political
eventTypes:
- treaty_signing
- constitutional_reform
canonicalClasses:
- governance
- conflict
impactRadius: national
velocity: gradual
predictability: scheduled
intentionality: planned
domainCoupling: multi_domain
lifecycleClass: conflict
