The One New Zealand Foundation
Colonisation did not destroy the tangata Maori’s way of life; it was Hongi Hika, Ngapuhi who destroyed it when he returned from England in 1820 with over 500 muskets and went on the rampage south with 2000 of his followers, killing or taking as slaves thousands of their unarmed countrymen, women, and children for the fun of it and the feasts that followed. It is estimated over 60,000 people were killed.
By 1831, the southern tribes had gained muskets and were about to attack Ngapuhi for utu (revenge); therefore, Ngapuhi wrote to the King of England asking him to be their protector and guardian. This led to the Six Documents below that made New Zealand into a British Colony under one flag and one law, irrespective of race colour or creed. “He iwi tahi tatou – We are now one people”.
- In 1831, 13 Ngapuhi chiefs sent a letter to the King of England asking him to be their guardian and protector. This letter shows they were in trouble and needed British protection, not only from the southern tribes, but also from the French who were trying to claim New Zealand.
- In 1833, Britain sent a Resident, James Busby to bring peace between all the people of New Zealand. In 1835, he drafted the Declaration of Independence recognising Maori sovereignty over New Zealand, but he could only entice 34 to sign it before they were back fighting, and it was abandoned. It was obvious that the chiefs could not form a united body to claim sovereignty over New Zealand, a fact ruled by Chief Justice, Sir James Prendergast in1877.
- In 1839, Queen Victoria’s 1839 Royal Charter/Letters Patent placed New Zealand under the dependency of New South Wales. Britain could not have placed New Zealand under the dependency of New South Wales if Maori had sovereignty over New Zealand.
- In 1840, over 500 tangata Maori Chiefs signed the Treaty of Waitangi that asked the chiefs to give up their governments to Queen Victoria, and in return, the tangata Maori would become British Subjects with the same rights as the people of England. No more, no less. After each chief signed the Treaty at Waitangi, Lt Governor Hobson shook their hand and repeated the Treaty’s one Principle, “He iwi tahi tatou – We are now one people”. This is the only “Principle” stated by Lt. Governor Hobson when he signed the Treaty of Waitangi. There were no others!
- In 1840, on 16 November, Queen Victoria issued a Royal Charter/Letters Patent under, “The Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland”. This Charter separated New Zealand from New South Wales’s dependency and made New Zealand into a British Colony with a Governor and Constitution. This Royal Charter was New Zealand’s true founding document and first Constitution. Without Queen Victoria’s 1840 Royal Charter/Letters Patent, New Zealand would have remained under the dependency of New South Wales.
- In 1841, the First Sitting of the Legislative Council set up our political, legal and justice systems under one flag and one law, irrespective of race, colour or creed. A nation of one people was born!
Until all the people of New Zealand are fully informed of these Six Documents that made New Zealand into a Democratic British Colony under one flag and one law, irrespective of race colour or creed, New Zealand will continue to be a divided Nation.
We must all learn our true history – it made us all one people!
No other document in New Zealand’s history comes anywhere nearer to being our true Founding Document and first Constitution than Queen Victoria’s Royal Charter/Letters Patent dated 16 November 1840, but we must not overlook the other 5 documents that made this possible.
Researched by: The One New Zealand Foundation Inc. from documents held in the New Zealand, Australian and American Archives, plus the British Parliamentary Papers.
See: http://onenzfoundation.co.nz/the-six-documents-that-made-new-zealand-into-a-british-colony/
