HE WHAKAPUTANGA NECKLACE
He Whakaputanga o te Rangatiratanga o Nu Tireni
The 'Declaration of Independence of the United Tribes of New Zealand'
The He Whakaputanga or United Tribes flag was created in 1834. It was necessary for Māori to choose a flag so that they could continue to participate in the major trading markets and adhere to navigation laws for ships to operate.
The flag came to represent the He Whakaputanga Declaration, which is often described as the tuakana to Te Tiriti o Waitangi. It was a declaration to the world that Māori were a sovereign people and an independent state. This was signed in 1835 at Waitangi and sent to Britain where it was recognised and reaffirmed by King William IV.
Waitangi Tribunal findings:
"He Whakaputanga was a declaration that Māori authority would endure, and that foreigners would not be allowed to make laws"