Collection: Tino Rangatiratanga Collection

The term Tino Rangatiratanga is also significant in relation to the Treaty of Waitangi, signed between the British Crown and Māori chiefs in 1840. The Treaty contains two key promises: one of kawanatanga (governance) for the Crown, and the other of tino rangatiratanga for Māori. While the Crown understood tino rangatiratanga to mean the continued control of Māori land and resources, many Māori viewed it as an affirmation of their sovereignty and authority.

Over time, the meaning and interpretation of tino rangatiratanga have been at the heart of legal and political struggles, particularly in negotiations related to the Treaty of Waitangi, land rights, and Māori self-governance.