Northern chiefs petition King William IV
- When
- 1831
- Where
- Kerikeri
- Reach
- Several regions
Thirteen rangatira asked the King to be a friend and guardian of these islands, worried by lawless traders and by rumours of French designs.
The letter, drafted with missionary help, was the first formal approach by Māori leaders to the British Crown. It asked for protection, not for governance, and that framing — friend and guardian — is what many later argued Te Tiriti was meant to honour. London’s response was to send James Busby as British Resident two years later.
Regions affected
Sources
Written for this project from these references rather than copied from them. Follow a link to check the account against the original.
Related
He Whakaputanga — Declaration of Independence
He Whakaputanga o te Rangatiratanga o Nu Tireni
Rangatira of the Confederation of United Tribes declared New Zealand an independent state, with all sovereign power residing in the assembled chiefs.
WaitangiWilliam Hobson is sent to negotiate a treaty
The Colonial Office instructed Hobson to obtain the free and intelligent consent of Māori to British sovereignty — the brief that produced Te Tiriti six months later.
Te Tiriti o Waitangi is signed
Te Tiriti o Waitangi
Around 540 rangatira signed Te Tiriti at Waitangi and at more than 50 meetings around the country. The English and te reo Māori texts do not say the same thing, and never have.
WaitangiThe Native Land Court is established
The court converted customary communal title into individual freehold — the mechanism by which most remaining Māori land was lost, without a shot fired.