Waitangi Day

New Zealand · history · indigenous peoples · national holiday

A historic agreement. On February 6, 1840, British representatives and Māori chiefs signed the Treaty of Waitangi to create an agreement about how New Zealand would be governed. Many people see it as the foundation of modern New Zealand.

Three different versions. The treaty was written in both English and Te Reo Māori (the Māori language), but the versions had some differences in meaning. This has caused disagreements for many years about what the treaty really promised.

A day of celebration. Every year on February 6, New Zealanders gather for parades, cultural performances, and ceremonies to remember this important day. It's a public holiday when most people have the day off to celebrate together.

British and Māori partnership. The treaty was meant to establish how the British Crown and the indigenous Māori people would work together and share New Zealand. It recognized the Māori as the tangata whenua, or people of the land.

Still debated today. People continue to discuss what the Treaty of Waitangi really means and whether all its promises have been kept. Courts and the government still use the treaty to make important decisions about Māori rights.