Teaching about Te Tiriti o Waitangi, there are some points that become increasingly important as you see them come up again and again. Like the fact Treaty discourse is constantly evolving. Or the fact that 94% of the signatories didn’t anything called The Treaty of Waitangi, and calling it a “misunderstanding” or translation issue of an otherwise well intentioned government erases the fact that we have over 500 Maori signatures on the agreement called Te Tiriti o Waitangi (which is why people call “The Treaty” a fraud).
NEVERTHELESS – even if you want to discuss the English document called The Treaty of Waitangi – which is the agreement which provides the basis for:
- Non-Maori presence in Aotearoa
- The expression of Non-Maori government in Aotearoa
- The structure of authority in Aotearoa
There are three words that are really important for us to focus on. I am NOT talking about the three P’s. Principles like “Partnership” “Participation” and “Protection” were developed by the Crown to evade accountability to the TEXT that was signed. I can’t even say they are nice in principle because “partnership” and “participation” are completely unqualified and can be abusive and paternalistic.
Heoi ano, as I was saying…. EVEN IF you wanted to focus on The Treaty of Waitangi there are three terms that people really need to damn well wananga – like school yourselves on these terms. They might seem basic but MY GOD do government agencies, organisations and scientists have a big problem getting their heads around these words:
FULL, EXCLUSIVE, and UNDISTURBED.
As in:
“Her Majesty the Queen of England guarantees the full exclusive and undisturbed possession of their Lands and Estates Forests Fisheries and other properties which they may collectively or individually possess so long as it is their wish and desire to retain the same in their possession.”
The Treaty of Waitangi Article 2
Now I know people like to muck around with terms and try to reinterpret things…. But let’s delve into the meaning of THESE WORDS that the coloniser put in his own document as the basis for his presence here.
FULL (adj) – complete, absolute, without restraint, unqualified. That means our possession of our land, marine and freshwater estate is WITHOUT qualification.
“Special rights and interests” – that’s a qualification. NO, we are guaranteed FULL possession.
EXCLUSIVE (adj) – sole, whole and undivided. NOT SHARED. Excluding others. Not “New Zealand belongs to everyone”, NOT “in everyone’s best interests”.
And if your ancestors in Britain were also dispossessed by the English regime I thoroughly support you taking that up with that regime because HERE in Aotearoa Maori were guaranteed EXCLUSIVE POSSESSION of our lands and waters.
UNDISTURBED (adj) – : not disturbed : not altered or interfered with, not agitated or troubled. That means not bothering us every few moments, not questioning our possession or making our possession difficult through economic or social pressures. That means not threatening it or abusing us when we remind people of our possession. That is UNDISTURBED possession.
There’s lots to be said about Te Tiriti o Waitangi but these three words are so very important, and so often overlooked, conflated, and flat out ignored. Those were the words the colonizer wrote, those were the standards he placed for himself and all who came under that document to stay here in Aotearoa.
Learn them. Learn their meaning, and respect them.
Mauriora.
