How Do We Know That Maori Ceded Sovereignty? There are 13 Proofs. Julian Batchelor M.ED Hons, B.Th, Dip. T’ching. Proof 1 .The Speeches of the chiefs
A report by the Waitangi Tribunal in 2022 argued that Ngapuhi chiefs of Northland did not agree to cede sovereignty. This is contradicted by statements made by chiefs at Waitangi on February 5, 1840, and by the affirmation of 144 chiefs at Kohimarama in Auckland in August 1860. Missionary William Colenso attended the Treaty debate among chiefs on February 5, 1840, and the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi the next day. He wrote an account of the events. He recorded statements by various chiefs, and these statements reveal that the chiefs fully understood the meaning of ‘ceding sovereignty’ as set out in Article 1 of the Treaty of Waitangi. For example: Te Kemara, a chief of the Ngatikawa, said, “Health to thee, O Governor! This is mine to thee, O Governor! I am not pleased towards thee. I do not wish for thee. I will not consent to thy remaining here in this country. If thou stayest as Governor, then, perhaps, Te Kemara will be judged and condemned. Yes, indeed, and more than that— even hung by the neck. No, no, no; I shall never say ‘Yes’ to your staying. Were all to be on an equality, then, perhaps, Te Kemara would say, ‘Yes;’ but for the Governor to be up and Te Kemara down—Governor high up, up, up, and Te Kemara down low, small, a worm, a crawler—No, no, no.” -----------------------Clearly, Te Kemara understood what ‘sovereignty’ meant. ----------------------Hakiro (son of Tareha, but who on this occasion appeared and spoke on behalf of Titore,* deceased, principal chief of the Ngatinanenane Tribe) arose and said, “To thee, O Governor! this. Who says ‘Sit’? Who? Hear me, O Governor! I say, no, no. Sit, indeed! Who says ‘Sit’? Go back, go back; do not thou sit here. What wilt thou sit here for? We are not thy people. We are free. We will not have a Governor. Return, return; leave us. The missionaries and Busby are our fathers. We do not want thee; so go back, return, walk away.” Tareha, (below) chief of the Ngatirehia Tribe, said, “No Governor for me— for us Native men. We, we only are the chiefs, rulers. We will not be ruled over. What! thou, a foreigner, up, and I down! Thou high, and I, Tareha, the great chief of the Ngapuhi tribes, low! No, no; never, never. I am jealous of thee; I am, and shall be, until thou and thy ship go away. Go back, go back; thou shalt not stay here.” ------------------------Clearly, Tareha understood what ‘sovereignty’ meant. ------------------------Rawiri, a chief of the Ngatitautahi Tribe, arose and said (first sentence in English), “Good morning, Mr. Governor! very good you! Our Governor, 1