The Treaty of Waitangi

Claudia Orange's remarkable history was first published in 1987. Winning the Goodman Fielder Wattie Award, it went on to sell over 40,000 copies. Much that the book said was new to Pakeha - and even more surprising was the force with which Maoridom welcomed (and drove forward) the government's initiatives - particularly the newly formed Waitangi Tribunal. Today the Treaty has come to signify what both joins and divides the people of this country. It had different meanings also to those present at the 1840 signing - the new arrivals and the tangata Whenua then occupying the land. To the British, it was the means by which they gained sovereignty over the country; for Maori, it represented something closer to partnership. That these distinct meanings were conveyed in texts written in different languages only added to the complexities now woven around this crucial agreement. The Treaty of Waitangi is a comprehensive study, looking at the place of the Treaty in New Zealand history from its making in the early nineteenth century through to the renewed engagement of the late twentieth century.In a new introduction, Claudia Orange brings the history up to date - covering the dramatic shifts of political allegiance, the impact of the major settlements on iwi (and on the economy), the place of the Treaty in legislation, and legislation such as the Foreshore and Seabed Act of 2004. Maori and Pakeha are all affected now by the terms of the Treaty - and few can be unaware of its significance, however each of us may view its role.

Dr Orange, DCNZM, OBE, grew up in a family where Maori affairs were a daily concern. She has been closely involved in discussions over the Treaty in relation to court hearings and the Waitangi Tribunal. After many years as the General Editor of the acclaimed Dictionary of New Zealand Biography, Claudia Orange is currently Collections and Research Group Director at Te Papa.

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