On the 28th of October in 1835 thirty four Māori chiefs signed a document in Waitangi, but it wasn't the treaty we usually associate with the Northland settlement.
He Whakaputanga, known in English as the Declaration of Independence, made it clear that both local authority and general sovereignty in Aotearoa belonged with Maori and that while British people would be protected they would be expected to be governed by local rule.
It's one of the most significant events in New Zealand history, but is often overlooked. Robert Kelly is in to paint us a picture.
Photo: RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King
