Nine A1 size colour copies of Te Tiriti o Waitangi (the Treaty of Waitangi) sheets which were taken around Aotearoa New Zealand to be signed in 1840.
These laminated wall posters include handwritten versions of the three articles and signatures of chiefs from various parts of Aotearoa New Zealand, including Tauranga, and the Bay of Plenty. One of the copies contains a typewritten version of the three articles of Te Tiriti in te reo Maori.
Sheet 1: The Waitangi Sheet
Sheet 2: The Manukau- Kāwhia Sheet
Sheet 3: The Waikato-Manukau Sheet
Sheet 4: The Printed Sheet
Sheet 5: The Tauranga Sheet
Sheet 6: The Bay of Plenty (Fedarb) Sheet
Sheet 7: The Herald (Bunbury) Sheet
Sheet 8: The Cook Strait (Henry Williams) Sheet
Sheet 9: The East Coast (Tūranga) Sheet
Te Tiriti o Waitangi is not one document but is made up of 9 sheets; 8 in te reo Māori, one in English. One Māori-language sheet is printed, the other sheets all handwritten. After the first signing at Waitangi, the treaty sheets were taken to about 50 gatherings over 7 months. About 540 Māori rangatira signed in total, many did not.
Soon after the 6 February signing, the Waitangi sheet was taken elsewhere in the north – Waimate, Hokianga and Kaitāia, as well as the Waitemāta Harbour and Hauraki Gulf. Handwritten copies along with one printed copy were then taken to various parts of the North and South Island. Travelling mostly by sea, many areas were not visited e.g.the Taranaki region has no natural harbour, so Treaty negotiators sailed past. Few locations on the South Island were visited.
The largest signing was on 12 February at Māngungu Mission near Horeke, where about 70 rangatira signed in front of a gathering of up to 3000 Māori. Only 39 chiefs ever signed the English-language copy (the Waikato-Manukau sheet), which did not match the Māori-language version. The last signature was collected on 3 September 1840 (the Manukau-Kāwhia sheet), but by May, Hobson had proclaimed British sovereignty over the whole of New Zealand.
The missionaries had encouraged rangatira to sign, believing it would protect Māori and their land. The question now was – would the Crown honour its promises? The chiefs who signed did so trusting that it would.
Rangatira signed in various ways – some with their name and some with a unique tohu (mark); sometimes tohu came from part of their tā moko (facial tattoo) design
(From https://www.waitangi.org.nz/the-treatys-journey/)
More information about Te Tiriti here :
> http://natlib.govt.nz/he-tohu/about/te-tiriti-o-waitangi
> http://www.archives.govt.nz/discover-our-stories/the-treaty-of-waitangi
date: Replica
maximum dimension: 700mm
subject area: Social Science, English & Languages
subject themes: Treaty of Waitangi, Signatures, Treaties, Te Reo
handling collection number: HC199
Why not get your hands on :
> Te Tiriti o Waitangi ki Tauranga (The Treaty of Waitangi Tauranga) - set of 9 copies HC201 https://www.handsontauranga.co.nz/hot-items/taonga/te-tiriti-o-waitangi-ki-tauranga-the-treaty-of-waitangi-tauranga-copies-hc201/
>Te Tiriti o Waitangi ki Tauranga picture book by Debbie McCauley https://www.handsontauranga.co.nz/hot-items/social-science/the-treaty-of-waitangi-in-tauranga-picture-book-hc232/