That story was, inevitably, a simplistic one that conceals similar processes to those that prevailed in other conquered lands. Yet there is a unique story to be told in relation to New Zealand. The Treaty of Waitangi was signed by (some) Maori chiefs in 1840, acceding to the authority of the British Queen. It was described by a lawyer as an exceptional and "enlightened" document.
But the treaty has become a millstone around New Zealand's neck. This is largely a result of interpretation, or rather mis-interpretation. When Maori chiefs thought they were accepting the "governance" of Queen Victoria, the English language version proclaimed that they were ceding "sovereignty". This, and other issues of understanding and interpretation, continues to dominate discussion of relationships between Paheka - white people - and Maori in New Zealand.
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