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Story: Te Tiriti o Waitangi – the Treaty of Waitangi

Kīngitanga flags

Kīngitanga flags

Within 20 years of the signing of te Tiriti o Waitangi (the Treaty of Waitangi), large areas of land had passed from Māori to Pākehā ownership. A number of central North Island tribes wished to retain their lands, and combined under a single leader with the title of Māori king. Te Wherowhero of Waikato was declared the first Māori king in 1858. These three flags were flown at Kīngitanga (King movement) gatherings. 

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Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Reference: 1992-0035-1631/4A

by W. F. Gordon

Permission of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page

Claudia Orange, Te Tiriti o Waitangi – the Treaty of Waitangi – The first decades after te tiriti – 1840 to 1860, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/artwork/36358/kingitanga-flags (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Claudia Orange, published 5 June 2012, reviewed and revised 28 March 2023 with assistance from Claudia Orange. It was translated into te reo Māori by Basil Keane.