Which Māori-language treaty was first signed at Waitangi in 1840?

Te Tiriti o Waitangi was first signed at Waitangi in 1840. The Māori-language text is commonly known in English as the Treaty of Waitangi.

The agreement was signed on 6 February 1840 between representatives of the British Crown and numerous Māori chiefs. Captain William Hobson, acting as a representative of Queen Victoria, presented the treaty and later became New Zealand’s first governor.

Copies were taken to other parts of New Zealand, and more than 500 Māori chiefs eventually signed versions of the document. The Māori and English texts differ in important wording, especially concerning sovereignty and authority, which has contributed to continuing legal and political debate.

Waitangi Day is observed each year on 6 February. The treaty is widely regarded as a founding document of modern New Zealand, although its interpretation and application remain subjects of national discussion.