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> The 1869 Māori Translation
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Last updated 10 February 2001.
Site History

The 1869 Māori Translation

In 1869 parliment requested a new Māori translation of the Treaty of Waitangi. This translation was published in the Appendices to the journals of the Legislative Council, 1869, p.70. The key differences between this translation of the original English text and the original Māori text are (refer also to the translation of the original Māori text):

• The term "te Kawanatanga katoa o o ratou whenua" (government over all their lands) has been replaced by "nga tikanga me nga mana katoa o te Rangatiratanga" (the ruling customs and all the mana of chieftainship).
• The term "te tino rangatiratanga o o ratou whenua" (full chieftainship over all their lands) has been replaced by "te tino tuturutanga o o ratou whenua" (guarantee over all their lands).

These differences between the original Māori treaty and this document highlight the original differences between the English and Māori text.

THIS IS NOT THE 1840 TREATY BUT A NEW TRANSLATION.

The original Māori treaty was signed at Waitangi, February 1840, and afterwards by over 500 chiefs. It is not known how widely the 1869 translation circulated.

Ko te tuatahi

Ko nga Rangatira o nga iwi o Niu Tireni kua noho i runga i te whakaaro kotahi me era Rangatira e tau ke ana e noho ana i runga i o ratou ritenga ano kahore ano kia uru ki tana whakakotahitanga e tino tuku rawa ana ki Te Kuini o Ingarangi nga tikanga me nga mana katoa o te Rangatiratanga e whakahaerea ana e mau ana i taua whakakotahitanga o ia Rangatira hoki e whakahaerea ana i runga i o ratou whenua i runga i to ratou Rangatiratanga ake ki reira.

Ko te tuarua

Ko Te Kuini o Ingarangi e whakapumau ana e whakatuturu ana ki nga Rangatira ki nga Iwi o Niu Tireni ki ia hapu ki ia tangata o aua iwi te tino tuturutanga o o ratou whenua o o ratou motu ngaherehere o o ratou wahi hiinga ika, o era atu rawa e mau ana i a ratou katoa i ia tangata ranei o ratou mo te wa e hiahiatia ai e ratou ki a puritia e ratou. Otira e tuku ana nga Rangatira o nga iwi kua
whakakotahi era atu Rangatira hoki ki a Te Kuini te tino tikanga mana anake e hoko i te tuatahi nga whenua e hiahia ai nga tangata no ratou ana whenua kia hokona, mo nga utu e whakaritea e nga tangata no ratou nga whenua ki nga tangata e whakaturia ana e Te Kuini hei kai-whakariterite ki a ratou mo te pera.

Ko te tuatoru

Mo runga i tera e tukua ana e Te Kuini o Ingarangi ki nga tangata Maori o Niu Tireni tona tiaki Rangatira, e hoatu ana hoki ki a ratou nga tikanga me nga painga katoa e tau ana ki runga ki nga tangata o tona iwi ake.

The text of this translation is taken from An Illustrated History of the Treaty of Waitangi, Claudia Orange published 1990 by Allen & Unwin NZ Limited.

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