Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill

Submission by the Archbishops

of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa New Zealand and Polynesia

Anglican Experience

1. The Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand, and Polynesia is the oldest institution established since the arrival of non-Māori. Founded in 1814, coinciding with the first non-Māori permanent settlement, our establishment predates that of Parliament. Even our 1857 restructuring into a Diocesan church is contemporaneous with Parliament's founding in 1854.
2. This historical context underscores the significance of our experience. Our recognition of the principle of partnership has been continuous throughout our history.
3. Our Church is deeply interwoven with the creation of Te Tiriti, serving as an instrument of engagement between the British Empire and ngā rangatira me ngā hapū of these lands. The Clapham sect's theological emphasis on liberation—initially for enslaved peoples globally, and subsequently for indigenous populations—informed our faith. James Stephens, a permanent under-secretary of the Colonial Office instrumental in incorporating the concept of tino rangatiratanga into the document, was a member of our Church.
4. From our earliest days at Rangihoua to the dissemination of the faith through Kaiwhakaako (Māori evangelists), our practice was rooted in the concept of Māori and Pākehā sharing a common faith while maintaining their distinct spheres of influence. By the 1850s, and with the establishment of the Church, this practice was further solidified, with hapū and rangatira leading, building, and resourcing their own faith communities as Pākehā did theirs. This exemplified Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the principle of partnership, a practice maintained continuously to the present day. Māori parishes and pastorates have consistently demonstrated Māori self-determination, while always acknowledging their place within the united Church.
5. Over 30 years ago, our revised Constitution, Te Pouhere, formally acknowledged Te Tiriti o Waitangi as central to our identity in Aotearoa-New Zealand. This also involved the formal adoption of the Principles of Partnership and Biculturalism.¹
6. Like other mainstream Churches, we have experienced decline in recent decades, with a numerical peak in 1976.² We acknowledge periods of resource inequity and relational challenges alongside significant successes and instances of kotahitanga. Our extensive experience demonstrates our capacity to work together through both highs and lows.
7. We reject the notion that the underlying principles of Te Tiriti, and its current interpretation, are a recent invention. We also reject the assertion that Māori have not been guaranteed the right to express their faith as they see fit. The principle of partnership reflects our lived experience; as the oldest institution in this country, our perspective holds considerable weight.

Anglican Translation

1. Te Rongopai ā Ruka, the Māori-language Gospel of Luke, was first printed in December 1835 by a Mihinare Anglican mission. This publication included the words rangatiratanga (chiefly rule) and kawanatanga (governance), which subsequently became seminal terms in the Anglican translation of the Treaty of Waitangi in February 1840. Within the Gospel of Luke, rangatiratanga refers to the “Kingdom” of God, paralleling the English treaty wording which ‘guarantees to the Chiefs and Tribes of New Zealand and to the respective families and individuals thereof the full exclusive and undisturbed possession of their Lands and Estates Forests Fisheries and other properties which they may collectively or individually possess’. This represents a form of sovereign rule, reinforcing the concept of Kīngitanga present in the 1835 Declaration of Independence (Te Whakaputanga), upon which the Treaty's moral authority rested. This includes the principle of weaving (raranga) together diverse peoples to forge cultural unity. The treaty text describes a comprehensive way of life, respecting and incorporating the full Māori experience.
2. The term kawanatanga suggests governance, and in Luke’s Gospel, it represents a form of limited governance interacting with another partner. The meanings of rangatiratanga and kawanatanga must be understood within the context of Māori tribal experience in Aotearoa, as well as the Māori and Pākehā mission experience documented in the Māori Gospel. These missions often hosted treaty signings and emphasized the moral high ground being sought.
3. The Māori wording of the Treaty, parallels the English version, clearly describes a balance between kawanatanga and rangatiratanga, embodying shared partnership, active participation, equity, and tribal self-determination. These are the very principles threatened by the new bill.
4. The Mihinare Anglican Church’s advocacy for the Māori translation of the Treaty implied a shared hope for life in Aotearoa New Zealand as covenanted equals under God, a form of mutual sovereignty. The Treaty Principles Bill seeks to dismantle this vision, denying the moral foundations that underpin our democracy, with potentially severe consequences.

 Notes

1. Te Pouhere, the 1992 Constitution, states:

AND WHEREAS (6)  by the Treaty of Waitangi, signed in 1840, the basis for future government and settlement of New Zealand was agreed, which Treaty implies partnership between Māori and settlers and bicultural development within one nation;

...

AND WHEREAS (12) the principles of partnership and bicultural development require the Church to:
           

(a)        organise its affairs within each of the tikanga  (social organisations, language, laws, principles, and procedure) of each partner;

            (b)       be diligent in prescribing and in keeping open all avenues leading to the common ground;

            (c)        maintain the right of every person to choose any particular cultural expression of the faith;

2. 1976 NZ Census showed 915,202 Anglicans, up from 895,839 in 1971 before a decline to 814,740 in 1981.