The Treaty of Waitangi was first signed in 1840 between Māori chiefs and the British Crown.
The first signing took place at Waitangi in the Bay of Islands on 6 February 1840. Lieutenant-Governor William Hobson represented the British Crown, while rangatira, or Māori leaders, signed a document prepared in both English and Māori. More than 500 Māori chiefs eventually signed copies circulated around New Zealand.
The treaty has three articles. They concern governance, Māori authority over lands and possessions, and British rights and protections. Differences between the English and Māori texts have contributed to enduring debate, because important political terms were translated in ways that did not carry exactly the same meanings.
Waitangi Day is observed annually on 6 February. The treaty is often described as New Zealand's founding document, but its legal and constitutional status has developed through later legislation, court decisions, and agreements rather than through one simple founding statute.