The Treaty of Waitangi - literal translation

Victoria, the Queen of England, in her kind (gracious) thoughtfulness to the chiefs and hapus of New Zealand, and her desire to preserve to them their chieftainship and their land, and that peace and quietness may be kept with them, because a great number of the people of her tribe have settled in this country, and (more) will come, has thought it right to send a chief (an officer) as one who will make a statement to (negotiate with) the Maori people of New Zealand. Let the Maori chiefs accept the governorship (kawanatanga) of the Queen over all parts of this country and the islands. Now, the Queen desires to arrange the governorship lest evils should come to the Maori people and the Europeans who are living here without law. Now, the Queen has been pleased to send me, William Hobson, a Captain in the Royal Navy to be Governor for all places of New Zealand which are now given up or which shall be given up to the Queen. And she says to the chiefs of the Confederation of the hapus of New Zealand and the other chiefs, these are the laws spoken of.

This is the First
The chiefs of the Confederation, and all these chiefs who have not joined in that Confederation give up to the Queen of England for ever all the governorship (kawanatanga) of their lands.

This is the Second
The Queen of England agrees and consents (to give) to the chiefs, the hapus, and all the people of New Zealand the full chieftainship (rangatiratanga) of their lands, their villages, and all their possessions but the chiefs of the Confederation and all the other chiefs give to the Queen the purchasing of those pieces of land which the owner is willing to sell, subject to the arranging of payment which will be agreed to by them and the purchaser who will be appointed by the Queen for the purpose of buying for her.

This is the Third
This is the arrangement for the consent to the governorship of the Queen. The Queen will protect all the Maori people of New Zealand, and give them all the same rights as those of the people of England.

[signed] William Hobson
Consul and Lieutenant-Governor

Now, we the chiefs of the Confederation of the hapus of New Zealand, here assembled at Waitangi, and we, the chiefs of New Zealand, see the meaning of these words and accept them, and we agree to all of them. Here we put are names and our marks.

Signed at Waitangi February 1840.

Photo of treaty (178K)