Archbishop Emeritus David Moxon led a comprehensive presentation last week on behalf of the Archbishops of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand, and Polynesia, ensuring the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi were upheld and honoured.

Archbishop David spoke to the error of the Treaty Principles Bill, saying that the Anglican Church confirms that Treaty Principles of partnership and self-determination were clearly intended in the original Treaty text. He explained how key Anglicans had translated and advocated for the Treaty, and highlighted how the Archbishops' submission outlines  Anglican Church structures that reflect a working model of Treaty Partnership.

But first Archbishop David set out the Archbishops' standpoint as leaders of the first institution to work in Māori -Pākehā partnership in Aotearoa New Zealand.

"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."

The Archbishops report that Anglicans involved in drafting Te Tiriti understood the principles of partnership, and made clear the Treaty would be between two self-determining peoples. 

"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 Archbishops said. 

"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."

The submission reminds Government policy makers that from the Church's earliest days at Rangihoua, to the dissemination of the faith through Kaiwhakaako (Māori evangelists), its 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."

The Archbishops also emphasised the longevity of the principles that undergird the Treaty, despite the lateness of their recognition in the law.

"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." 

The Archbishops also unpack specific words in Te Tiriti that show how missionary translators relied on Māori readers' understanding of concepts such as kawanatanga (governorship) and rangatiratanga (sovereignty, chiefly rule), which they knew well from the Māori medium Gospel of Luke, one of the earliest texts published in Aotearoa.

In his presentation last week, Archbishop Emeritus David Moxon underlined how use of concepts such as kawanatanga and rangatiratanga in the text of Te Tiriti proves that complex principles related to Māori authority and autonomy over their own affairs was both understood and agreed to by Māori and Pākehā, from the genesis of the Treaty of Waitangi. 

Read the Archbishops' full submission here.

Read Archbishop David's presentation here.