What treaty was signed in 1840 between Māori chiefs and the British Crown?

The Treaty of Waitangi was signed in 1840 between representatives of the British Crown and Māori chiefs in New Zealand.

The first signing took place at Waitangi in the Bay of Islands on 6 February 1840. Captain William Hobson represented the Crown, while Māori rangatira debated and signed the document. Copies were then carried around New Zealand, and additional chiefs signed over the following months. The anniversary is commemorated as Waitangi Day.

There were English and Māori versions of the treaty, and they did not convey exactly the same meaning. In particular, the English text refers to the cession of sovereignty, while the Māori text uses concepts including kāwanatanga and rangatiratanga. Those differences have shaped continuing debates about authority, land, rights and the Crown–Māori relationship.

The treaty was not the Treaty of Rarotonga, which concerns the South Pacific nuclear-free zone, nor the Treaty of Nanking, which ended the First Opium War. The Treaty of Waitangi remains a central constitutional and historical reference in New Zealand.