The most contentious phrase from the Treaty of Waitangi, tino rangatiratanga has become something of a rallying cry for proponents of Maori sovereignty. The Treaty of Waitangi (Māori: Te Tiriti o Waitangi) was signed on 6 February 1840 at Waitangi in the Bay of Islands, New Zealand. ... Te Puni, Māori Chief Māori is the name of the indigenous people of New Zealand, and their language. ... Sovereignty is the exclusive right to exercise supreme authority over a geographic region, group of people, or oneself. ...

A rangatira is a chief, the suffix -tanga implies the quality or attributes of chieftainship, and the addition of intensifier tino in this context means the phrase can be translated as 'absolute/unqualified chieftainship'. Its closest English translation is self-determination, although many also refer to it as 'absolute sovereignty' or Maori independence. Such a concept embraces the spiritual link Maori have with Papatuanuku (Earthmother) and is a part of the international drive by indigenous people for self determination. Self-determination is a principle in international law that a people ought to be able to determine their own governmental forms and structure free from outside influence. ... Sovereignty is the exclusive right to exercise supreme authority over a geographic region, group of people, or oneself. ... Te Puni, Māori Chief Māori is the name of the indigenous people of New Zealand, and their language. ... Te Puni, Māori Chief Māori is the name of the indigenous people of New Zealand, and their language. ... The word indigenous is derived from the latin word indigena, meaning nativ, indigenous, aboriginal, and has several, related meanings: The native people of a place; see the article indigenous people. ...

In article one of the Treaty's English text the Maori signatories ceded their sovereignty to the British Crown. The Maori text of the translation used the missionary neologism 'kawanatanga' (= 'governorship') to approximate this concept. This word was based on the transliteration "Kawana" (= 'governor), which had been invented by Bible translators, to explain Pontius Pilate's authority in Judaea. Kawana was also used prior to 1840 of the Governor of New South Wales. Given the Australian treatment of Aborigines and Pilates' treatment of the Jews, Kawanatanga does not seem to be intended to mislead Maori as to the nature of British soveriegnty. Kawanatanga is a word from the Maori language (Maori are the indigenous people of New Zealand). ... Parts of this article contradict each other. ... Pontius Pilate (Latin Pontius Pilatus) was the governor of the small Roman province of Judea from AD 26 until around 36 AD, although Tacitus believed him to be the procurator of that province. ... Desert hills in southern Judea, looking east from the town of Arad Judea or Judaea (יהודה Praise, Standard Hebrew Yəhuda, Tiberian Hebrew Yəhûḏāh) is a term used for the mountainous southern part of historic Palestine, an area now divided between Israel, Jordan and the West Bank. ... Motto: Orta Recens Quam Pura Nites (Newly Risen, How Brightly You Shine) Nickname: First State, Premier State Other Australian states and territories Capital Sydney Government Governor Premier Const. ... ...

In article two of the Treaty, the Maori text assured the signatories that their tino rangatiratanga would remain undisturbed, along with their continued possession of their lands and other taonga. Taonga is the Maori word for a treasured thing, whether tangible or intangible. ...

This apparent inconsistency in the Maori text of the Treaty has led to much debate as to whether the Maori signatories intended to cede their sovereignty to the British Crown at all, with some Maori claiming vestigial Maori sovereignty remains.

External Links

• Tino Rangatiratanga website
• Tino Rangatiratanga mail list
• Aotearoa Cafe