Skip to main content

Story: Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi – ngā mātāpono o te Tiriti o Waitangi

The principles of the Treaty of Waitangi

Waitangi Tribunal Court of Appeal Government
Active protection Active protection  
Tino rangatiratanga includes management of resources and other taonga according to Māori cultural preferences Māori retain rangatiratanga over their resources and taonga and have all the rights and privileges of citizenship Self-management
The right to redress for past breaches The right to redress for past breaches The right to redress for past breaches
The exchange of the right to make laws for the obligation to protect Māori interests The freedom of the Crown to govern Government or kawanatanga
Partnership – the needs of both Māori and the wider community must be met Partnership Equality – reasonable co-operation
The courtesy of early consultation The duty to consult  
  The acquisition of sovereignty in exchange for protection of rangatiratanga  
The Crown cannot evade its obligations under the treaty by conferring authority on some other body    
The treaty is an agreement that can be adapted to meet new circumstances    
Taonga include all valued resources and intangible cultural assets    

There is no final or complete list of Treaty of Waitangi principles. These principles are continually reinterpreted and developed to suit changing understandings and circumstances. The table above shows some of the treaty principles that have been developed in the past.

Using this item

Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

Mātāpuna: Janine Hayward, 'The principles of the Treaty of Waitangi.' In The Waitangi Tribunal: Te Roopu Whakamana i te Tiriti o Waitangi. Wellington: Bridget Williams Books, 2004, pp. 29–40

This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.

All images & media in this story

How to cite this page

Janine Hayward, Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi – ngā mātāpono o te Tiriti o Waitangi – What are the treaty principles?, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/interactive/32951/the-principles-of-the-treaty-of-waitangi (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Janine Hayward, published 1 June 2012, reviewed and revised 16 January 2023 with assistance from Janine Hayward.