Treaty of Waitangi claims and settlements

from the preface to The Treaty of Waitangi Companion: Māori and Pākehā from Tasman to Today provides a fascinating insight into the contemporary conceptions that people have of the Treaty of Waitangi. The quotation is broad in its content and has so many different facets. I am taking the approach that each of the various aspects speaks to the principal question posed in the quote, and is, is the Treaty of Waitangi a Māori Magna Carta or Mega-Fraud. The Manga Carta 1215 (1297) The phrase Māori Magna Carta or Mega-Fraud is an interesting phrase. The Magna Carta is a fundamental constitutional document not only to the United Kingdom but also to New Zealand and many other countries that…

acquire Maori land. This case is significant as the Environment Court considered the cultural importance of land in making their decision. The vibe of the decision felt in line with the Treaty of Waitangi principle of ‘active protection.’ Active protection is the idea that where it is reasonable and possible, the Court has an obligation to protect Maori interests and property. While many see this case as a victory for Grace, it is unlikely that this case will have a big impact on…

James Belich claims that the British were “reluctant imperialists” due to the fact that they did not need to colonise a country in order to trade with it. Britain had little interest in colonising a country for the sake of it - Belich explains that it took a long time for New Zealand to be considered for the empire; 1820, twenty years after Britons initially began settling in New Zealand. Belich states that as Britain could already trade with New Zealand, there was no benefit in colonising New…