Kawanatanga in the Māori treaty text
The inspected Māori text, Ko te Tuatahi, uses the expression “te Kawanatanga katoa o o ratou wenua” in describing what the chiefs give to the Queen of England.
What this does and does not establish
The original term Kawanatanga is retained. The working translation does not establish equivalence with sovereignty in the separate English text, nor settle historical understanding or legal interpretation.
How it is dated
- In the source
- English conclusion: “this Sixth day of February ... One thousand eight hundred and forty.” Used only to group the treaty documents, not as a quotation from the Māori text.
- How we use it
- Document-year grouping based on the separately identified English conclusion; it does not establish equivalence between the language versions or the date of every signature.
- Method
- Explicit year in English treaty conclusion, not a date for every signature or proof of implementation
Sources and quoted text
Source 1
Te Tiriti o Waitangi, Māori text
1840 Treaty text reproduced by Waitangi Tribunal from Schedule 1, Treaty of Waitangi Act 1975
Māori-language treaty text (statutory transcription, not the signed original)
Ko nga Rangatira o te Wakaminenga me nga Rangatira katoa hoki ki hai i uru ki taua wakaminenga ka tuku rawa atu ki te Kuini o Ingarani ake tonu atu-te Kawanatanga katoa o o ratou wenua.AI working translation into English; not official or authoritative
The chiefs of the Confederation and all chiefs who have not joined that Confederation give entirely to the Queen of England, forever, all the Kawanatanga of their lands.
Reuse conditions recorded for this source: Attribute Waitangi Tribunal, historical treaty texts reproduced from Schedule 1 of the Treaty of Waitangi Act 1975. Keep English and Māori text distinct; any AI working translation is non-authoritative; preserve qualifications and source URL.
Exact source version
c3df445258f75030cb0f634c4996ab07c70a05afe8c5d6468a2f9bd26d30b4e1Source 2
Treaty of Waitangi, English text
1840 Treaty text reproduced by Waitangi Tribunal from Schedule 1, Treaty of Waitangi Act 1975
English-language treaty text (statutory transcription, not the signed original)
Done at Waitangi this Sixth day of February in the year of Our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty.Reuse conditions recorded for this source: Attribute Waitangi Tribunal, historical treaty texts reproduced from Schedule 1 of the Treaty of Waitangi Act 1975. Keep English and Māori text distinct; any AI working translation is non-authoritative; preserve qualifications and source URL.
Exact source version
e2686f902f07db0c817ed6185ceeef4af277a674ddd945371d6bd686de8a318fChecks and changes
Source checked 2026-11-04. An independent AI evidence review supports this bounded, attributed wording. That review does not guarantee historical truth.
Revision p05_04_2_r3
Exact revision fingerprint
5ec5c88e554cdb5a46ce2aed0e134d180552bbfd04fb1d537f1624b292d93b98