Why was the Treaty of Waitangi Needed?

Basic Overview

In 1840, The Treaty of Waitangi was signed after a debate the previous day. According to mfat.govt.nz, the purpose of the treaty was to establish a better relationship between the Crown and Maori. It was also created to help govern the relationships between Maori and non-Maori. Below, we will explore the purpose of the treaty further in more detail.

Main Purposes

The main purpose of the treaty was to ensure that both of the parties lived peacefully. However, it was also used to ensure that the Maori’s interests were protected by ensuring that the Maori had total control over their lands and important possessions/taonga. Furthermore, it was used to:

1. Protect the rights and property of Maori


2. Keep peace between the parties


3. Allow the country to be governed by the British Crown


4. Protect the Maori Culture

Provisions

The Treaty of Waitangi contained multiple provisions. The first one was that the Maori must allow other people to live in their country. The Maori would also agree that the British could make rules/laws. The Queen also promised that law and order would be present to all people and that all property and treasures of the Maori would be protected. The provisions also stated that the Maori chiefs would hand over sovereignty to the British though they would still have the full ownership of lands, estates, forests and fisheries.

What If there was No Treaty?

According to an article in nzherald.co.nz, If there had been no treaty, the British may have invaded New Zealand by force. This is because a majority of people agreed that the British government would have had to govern New Zealand sooner or later due to the migration of British people to New Zealand. However, another possible scenario would be that New Zealand would be claimed by the French or Americans who at the time of signing to Treaty, were already on their way to New Zealand.