He Whakaputanga - The Declaration of Independence (1835)

The Team from Alexander Turnbull Library

Date: Thursday, 25 October; Friday, 26 October and Saturday 27 October 2018
Time: 10:30am to 11:00am and 2:30pm to 3:00pm
Cost: Free. You don't need to book.

Take a free He Whakaputanga tour
Join our skilled He Tohu learning team to learn about He Whakaputanga — The Declaration Of Independence (1835), a key document which helped shape Aotearoa, New Zealand.

He Whakaputanga New Zealand’s first constitutional document
He Whakaputanga o te Rangatiratanga o Nu Tireni, The Declaration Of Independence of New Zealand was debated, agreed upon and ultimately signed by 34 rangatira at Waitangi on 28 October, 1835, and later by another 18 chiefs from the north and elsewhere, through until 22 July 1939.

He Whakaputanga is New Zealand’s first constitutional document — a document that defines the existence of the nation, who is in control of it, and how it will be run. It is also one of the earliest assertions of Māori identity beyond separate iwi and hapū. The document marked steps toward a unified form of governance among the many different rangatira and their hapū and iwi.

The document is inseparable from the Treaty of Waitangi and the issues that shape Aotearoa New Zealand.

As Ngāpuhi elder Hone Sadler notes, ‘He Whakaputanga te matua, Te Tiriti te tamaiti — He Whakaputanga is the parent, Te Tiriti is the child.’
He Whakaputanga remains a taonga of great significance today.

Image: Shaw Savill Line postcard depicting the United Tribes Ensign. Ref: 82-419-01.