Te Tiriti: The Treaty of Waitangi

Description

HIST268/MAOR219 provides an important lesson in how the Treaty has influenced modern Māori society. By analysing these influences you will gain a greater understanding of the political and socio economic landscape in Aotearoa.
This paper is extremely useful for anyone seeking a career in a government sector or iwi organisation. You will learn valuable skills by analysing complex textual and cultural phenomenon. These skills can then be used in areas such as policy management or report writing.  

50,000 people gathered at the end of the 2004 Hikoi to challenge the crowns ownership of the foreshore and seabed. Opinions divided the nation raising the importance of informed opinion
• What is The Treaty of Waitangi, why is it important, and has it always been important?
• What does The Treaty actually say and what does it offer? If there are two translations that don’t say the same thing, what mandate does the Treaty have?
• In 1840 there were more Māori in New Zealand that Europeans though settlers had been in New Zealand for some 30 years. Within ten years Māori were overtaken numerically. What effects did the Treaty have on colonial New Zealand and what about today? what about the future?
• Sovereignty is one of the most contested words between the two versions of the Treaty of Waitangi. What is sovereignty and was it ceded? Is there now ‘One law for all’ in New Zealand?
• The authority of the Treaty has oscillated throughout its short history from a mandate to establish a new state, to no more than a curiosity. What is its current status?


The themes in this course include:
• Origins of British policy, Ceding Sovereignty
• Alienation of land
• Marginalisation of Māori
• Radical protest
• Waitangi tribunal, office of Treaty settlements
• UN policy on settlement of Indigenous Claims and New Zealand
• Comparative histories
• Claims, settlements, iwi organisations and investments
• Foreshore and Seabed debate
• Māori politics

Course Goals
• Comprehensively explore the of the Treaty of Waitangi and its ramifications on New Zealand society and the health and well-being in Māori both historically and contemporarily.
• Discuss Iwi, their points of view, their settlements, and their investment strategies.
• Have an opportunity to openly discuss beliefs about the Treaty of Waitangi and its place in race relations

Learning Outcomes
Students will
• Form a considered opinion towards the status of the Treaty of Waitangi in New Zealand Society
• Know the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi and their practical applications in contemporary New Zealand
• Describe the process of making the Treaty of Waitangi, its implementation, the key figures involved
• Understand views and form considered opinions about the settlement process and possible futures of The Treaty in New Zealand

Why this Paper?
This is the essential paper to understanding where the Treaty of Waitangi underpins New Zealand society, therefore the applications are wide including
• Policy analyst in Māori and Government organisations
• Development roles within Māori and Iwi sectors
• Professional social services, education, and health sector roles that interface with Iwi and Māori organisations.
• Kaupapa Māori research
• Police
• Law
• Journalism
• Politics

Transferrable Skills:
This course contributes to the development of the following transferable skills
• Academic writing
• Cultural awareness
• Identifying social predictions of health
• Analysis
• Speculation
• Principles of Treaty of Waitangi