What te Tiriti o Waitangi says in English and te reo Māori
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Ngā kōrero i te Tiriti o Waitangi reo Pākehā, reo Māori hoki
What te Tiriti o Waitangi says in English and te reo Māori

E rua ngā tauira o Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Ko te reo Māori, me te reo Pākehā. Rapua ngā kōrero mō te whakamāoritanga o Te Tiriti, ngā kōrero o roto me ngā rerekētanga i tētahi ki tētahi..

There are 2 versions of the Treaty of Waitangi, one in te reo Māori and one in English. Find out about how the translation happened, what each version says and how they differ in meaning.

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Ko wai i tuhituhi, ko wai i whakamāori i Te Tiriti o Waitangi
Who wrote and translated the Treaty of Waitangi

Nā Rūtene-Kāwana William Hobson rāua ko tāna hekeretari, a James Stuart Freeman, i tuhituhi i te tauira tuatahi o Te Tiriti o Waitangi ki te reo Pākehā.

I tuku pōwhiri a James Busby, te Kainoho Peretānia o mua, ki ngā rangatira o te Tai Tokerau ki te hui ki a Hobson, “he rangatira nō te Kuini o Ingarangi”, ki tōna kāinga i Waitangi i te 5 o Pepuere 1840 ki te kōrero mō tētahi whakaritenga ōkawa. Kāore anō a Hobson kia whai i tētahi tauira tiriti hei whakatakoto atu ki ngā rangatira i taua wā. Ko rāua tērā ko Freeman kāore i ākona ki te ture, kāore i āta mārama ki a Ngāi Māori.

Lieutenant-Governor William Hobson and his secretary James Stuart Freeman created the first draft of the Treaty of Waitangi in English.

Former British Resident James Busby had sent invitations to northern rangatira (chiefs) to meet Hobson, “a rangatira of the Queen of England”, at his property at Waitangi on 5 February 1840 to discuss a formal arrangement. Hobson had no draft treaty to present to the rangatira yet. Neither he nor Freeman had legal training or much understanding of Māori.

Ka oti tētahi tauira tuatahi i a Hobson, ka māuiui ia. Ka nui te whai wāhi atu o Busby ki te tauira, nā Hobson tonu i whakaoti i te rā i mua i te hui. Nō te 4 karaka i te ahiahi o te 4 o Pepuere 1840, ka hari atu a Hobson i te tauira o Te Tiriti ki a Henry Williams, he mihingare. Ka tono ia i a Williams ki te whakaputa mai i tētahi tauira ki te reo Māori version, ka hari atu ai ki te whare o Busby i te ata o muri mai Ko reira ka pānuitia ai te tauira ki ngā rangatira i huihui atu i te 10 karaka i te ata.

I āwhinatia a Williams e tāna tama e 21 tau te pakeke, ko Edward, i matatau nei ki te reo Māori. Ka mahi rāua i te pō, ao noa, nō te 9 karaka i te ata o te 5 o Pēpuere ka tae atu a Hobson ki te kāinga o Busby ki te tirotiro i te whakamāoritanga. Nā tēnei kōrero, kotahi noa nei te whakarerekētanga ki Te Tiriti. I marohi a Busby me tango atu i te kupu ‘huihuinga’, me whakauru kē ko te ‘whakaminenga’ kia hāngai ake te reo ki tērā i whakamahia i He Whakaputanga hei whakaahua i te whakaminenga rangatira i waitohu i te tiriti. I whakaae a Williams ki tērā whakarerekētanga.

Ka āta tuhia te tauira Tiriti ki te reo Māori ki runga kiri kararehe e te Minita Richard Taylor. Ka whakatakotoria atu, ka whakamāramatia ki te 500 o Ngāi Māori me te 200 o Ngāi Pākehā i te roanga atu o taua rā. Ka noho ko ngā mihingare ngā kaiwhakamāori matua i te reo Pākehā ki te reo Māori.

After a first attempt, Hobson fell ill. Busby added considerably to the draft, which Hobson finalised the day before the meeting. At 4pm on 4 February 1840, Hobson took a draft of the Treaty to the missionary, Henry Williams. He asked Williams to produce a te reo Māori version and bring it to Busby’s residence the next morning. There, it would be read to the assembled rangatira at 10am.

Williams was assisted by his 21-year-old son Edward, who was also fluent in te reo Māori. They worked through the night, and at 9am on 5 February, Hobson arrived at Busby’s residence to examine the translation. This discussion resulted in just one change to te Tiriti. Busby suggested replacing the word ‘huihuinga’ (gathering, assembly) with ‘whakaminenga’ to more accurately reflect the language used in He Whakaputanga to describe the confederation of chiefs who signed it. Williams agreed to the change.

A clean copy of the proposed Treaty in te reo Māori was made on parchment by the Reverend Richard Taylor. It was presented and explained to 500 Māori and 200 Pākehā later that day. Missionaries acted as the main translators from English to Māori.

He iti noa nei ngā tohu ki a Ngāi Māori i roto i te whakamārama me te matapaki mō ngā pānga maha ka hua mai i te waitohutanga o Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Ka whakatōmuatia ngā kōrero mō ngā painga ka hua, ka iti noa nei ngā kōrero mō ngā herenga ka here i a rātou. Ka āta whakaitia ngā pānga o te tuku mana ki te Karauna o Peretānia, ka whakatōmuatia kētia ngā whakamarumaru o te piringa whaiaro ki a Kuini Wikitōria me te kawenata honohono i raro i te Atua kotahi.

Ākona he kōrero anō mō Te Tiriti o Waitangi me te mahinga mai

The explanation and discussion gave Māori little hint of the many implications of signing te Tiriti o Waitangi. Possible benefits were emphasised, with little said about the restrictions they would face. The absolute nature of the transfer of authority to the British Crown was played down, but ideas of protection through a personal relationship with Queen Victoria and of union in covenant under one God were emphasised.

Learn more about the Treaty of Waitangi and how it happened

Ngā rerekētanga ki waenga i te tauira reo Māori me te tauira reo Pākehā o Te Tiriti o Waitangi
Differences between te reo Māori and English versions of te Tiriti o Waitangi

I ētahi wāhanga, he tino rerekē te tikanga o te tauira reo Māori o Te Tiriti o Waitangi i te tikanga o te tauira reo Pākehā. Nā ngā kupu i whakamahia, ka rerekē ngā kawatau o Ngāi Māori me Ngāi Pākehā mō ngā tikanga o Te Tiriti. Kua hua mai he wero ki a Aotearoa e haere tonu ana, nā runga i ngā mahi hei whakariterite i ēnei rerekētanga.

Ko tētehi rerekētanga nui kei ngā kōrero i te wāhanga 1 me te wāhanga 2, e whakamārama ana i ngā āhuatanga ka riro atu i a Ngāi Māori.

Wāhanga 1 o Te Tiriti o Waitangi

Kei te Wāhanga 1 o Te Tiriti ki te reo Māori, ka tukua te kāwanatanga o te whenua ki a Kuini Wikitōria. Kei te tāuira reo Pākehā, ka tukua kētia ki a Kuini Wikitōria te kīmgitanga ('sovereignty') o te whenua — he kupu e tino taikaha ake ana. Hei tā ētahi mātanga hītori, he pai kē atu ‘te tino rangatiratanga’, ko te ‘mana’ rānei hei whakamārama atu i te 'kīngitanga ('sovereignty'), kaua ko te ‘kāwanatanga’.

Kei te tauira reo Māori: ka tuku a Ngāi Māori ki a Kuini Wikitōria ko “te kāwanatanga katoa”— arā ko te kāwanatanga katoa kei runga i te whenua.

Kei te tauira reo Pākehā: ka tuku a Ngāi Māori ki a Kuini Wikitōria ko ngā tika me ngā mana katoa o te kīngitanga ''sovereignty') i runga i te whenua.

Wāhanga 2 o Te Tiriti o Waitangi

Kei te Wāhanga 2 o Te Tiriti ki te reo Māori, ka whakapūmautia ki ngā rangatira ko ‘te tino rangatiratanga’ — ko ngā tika katoa o te rangatiratanga kei runga i ō rātou whenua, kāinga, taonga hoki. Ka tukua hoki ki te Karauna te tika ki te hoko i te whenua i a Ngai Māori.

Kei te tauira reo Pākehā, ka whakapūmautia ki ngā rangatira ko te 'pupuritanga kia rātou anake me te kore e kaitoroihi ('exclusive and undisturbed possession’) o ō rātou whenua, ngāherehere, hīnga ika me ētahi atu rawa. Ka tukua hoki ki te Karauna anake te tika ki te hoko i te whenua i a Ngāi Māori.

Kei te tauira reo Māori: ka whakapūmautia ki a Ngāi Māori ko ‘te tino rangatiratanga’— ngā tika katoa o te rangatira ki ō rātou whenua, kāinga, taonga hoki.

Kei te tauira reo Pākehā: ka whakapūmautia ki a Ngāi Māori te pupuritanga katoa ki a rātou anake me te kore e kaitoroihi o ō rātou whenua me ngā tukuihoytanga, ngā Ngāhere, ngā Hīnga Ika me ērā atu rawa (‘full, exclusive and undisturbed possession of their Lands and Estates Forests Fisheries and other properties’).

Kei te whakaaetia whānuitia ka whai wāhi nui te whakamahinga i ēnei kupu nei o te ‘kāwanatanga’ me te ‘tino rangatiratanga’ ki te whakapōhēhētanga o ngā rangatira mō te nui o te mana ka mau tonu i a rātou, me ērā ka riro i te kāwana. E tinga ana ka kawatau ngā rangatira i waitohu i Te Tiriti ki te whakapūmau i te mana ki a rātou anō — me te mea nei, mā Hobson e whakahaere i ngā Pākehā — ki te whai wāhi atu rānei ki tētahi rangapūtanga, e whai mana ngātahi ana.

In some places the meaning of the te reo Māori version of te Tiriti o Waitangi was significantly different in meaning to the English version. The words used led to Māori and Pākehā having different expectations of the Treaty’s terms. Reconciling these differences has presented Aotearoa with ongoing challenges.

A major difference is in the texts of articles 1 and 2, which describe what was being given up by Māori.

Article 1 of te Tiriti o Waitangi

In Article 1, the Treaty in Māori gave Queen Victoria governance over the land. In English, it gave Queen Victoria sovereignty over the land — a much stronger term. Some historians have suggested that ‘te tino rangatiratanga’ or ‘mana’ were better approximations of sovereignty than ‘kāwanatanga’.

Te reo Māori: Māori give Queen Victoria “te kāwanatanga katoa”— complete governance over the land.

English: Māori give Queen Victoria all the rights and powers of sovereignty over the land.

Article 2 of te Tiriti o Waitangi

In Article 2, the Treaty in Māori guaranteed rangatira ‘te tino rangatiratanga’— full rights of chieftainship over their lands, villages and taonga (treasured things). It also gave the Crown the right to deal with Māori in purchasing land.

In the English version of the Treaty, rangatira are given ‘exclusive and undisturbed possession’ of lands, forests, fisheries and other property. The Crown was also given an exclusive right to deal with Māori in purchasing land.

Te reo Māori: Māori are guaranteed ‘te tino rangatiratanga’— full rights of chieftainship over their lands, villages and taonga.

English: Māori are guaranteed ‘full, exclusive and undisturbed possession of their Lands and Estates Forests Fisheries and other properties’.

It is widely accepted that the use of the words ‘kāwanatanga’ and ‘tino rangatiratanga’ contributed to misunderstanding by the chiefs as to how much authority they would retain compared the governor. It is likely the rangatira who signed expected to either retain power — with Hobson having control over Pākehā — or enter into some kind of partnership and power-sharing arrangement.

Te whakapākehātanga mai i te tauira reo Māori version o Te Tiriti o Waitangi, nā Ahorangi Hugh Kawharu, 1975
English back-translation of the te reo Māori version of te Tiriti o Waitangi by Professor Hugh Kawharu, 1975

The Treaty of Waitangi

Victoria, the Queen of England, in her concern to protect the chiefs and the subtribes of New Zealand and in her desire to preserve their chieftainship and their lands to them and to maintain peace and good order considers it just to appoint an administrator one who will negotiate with the people of New Zealand to the end that their chiefs will agree to the Queen's Government being established over all parts of this land and (adjoining) islands and also because there are many of her subjects already living on this land and others yet to come.

So the Queen desires to establish a government so that no evil will come to Māori and European living in a state of lawlessness.

So the Queen has appointed me, William Hobson, a Captain in the Royal Navy to be Governor for all parts of New Zealand (both those) shortly to be received by the Queen and (those) to be received hereafter and presents to the chiefs of the Confederation chiefs of the subtribes of New Zealand and other chiefs these laws set out here.

The first

The Chiefs of the Confederation and all the Chiefs who have not joined that Confederation give absolutely to the Queen of England for ever the complete government over their land.

The second

The Queen of England agrees to protect the chiefs, the subtribes and all the people of New Zealand in the unqualified exercise of their chieftainship over their lands, villages and all their treasures. But on the other hand the Chiefs of the Confederation and all the Chiefs will sell land to the Queen at a price agreed to by the person owning it and by the person buying it (the latter being) appointed by the Queen as her purchase agent.

The third

For this agreed arrangement therefore concerning the Government of the Queen, the Queen of England will protect all the ordinary people of New Zealand and will give them the same rights and duties of citizenship as the people of England.

William Hobson Consul and Lieutenant-Governor.

So we, the Chiefs of the Confederation and of the subtribes of New Zealand meeting here at Waitangi having seen the shape of these words which we accept and agree to record our names and our marks thus.

Was done at Waitangi on the sixth of February in the year of our Lord 1840.

Original English version of the Treaty of Waitangi

The Treaty of Waitangi

Her Majesty Victoria Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland regarding with Her Royal Favour the Native Chiefs and Tribes of New Zealand and anxious to protect their just Rights and Property and to secure to them the enjoyment of Peace and Good Order has deemed it necessary in consequence of the great number of Her Majesty's Subjects who have already settled in New Zealand and the rapid extension of Emigration both from Europe and Australia which is still in progress to constitute and appoint a functionary properly authorized to treat with the Aborigines of New Zealand for the recognition of Her Majesty's Sovereign authority over the whole or any part of those islands – Her Majesty therefore being desirous to establish a settled form of Civil Government with a view to avert the evil consequences which must result from the absence of the necessary Laws and Institutions alike to the native population and to Her subjects has been graciously pleased to empower and to authorize me William Hobson a Captain in Her Majesty's Royal Navy Consul and Lieutenant-Governor of such parts of New Zealand as may be or hereafter shall be ceded to her Majesty to invite the confederated and independent Chiefs of New Zealand to concur in the following Articles and Conditions.

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.

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.

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.

William Hobson, Lieutenant Governor.

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. Done at Waitangi this Sixth day of February in the year of Our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty.