How D'ye Do Mr Governor

The whole of this land, Aotearoa, belonged to the Māoris at the time, and also they had the majority population, and they were prepared to contract with the British Crown on sharing this land with British nationals.

– Dame Mira Szaszy on why the Treaty is our founding document

It's my belief that the Treaty formed a basis for an ideal of nationhood. Of course in practice the reality has been very different. Māori and European (or firstly Māori and British) had very differing expectations of what would emerge in this new nation.

– Dr Claudia Orange

Your interpretation of 'we are one people' and my interpretation of 'we are one people' may diverge at some point. What we do need to have is a forum of discussion where we do have understanding ...

– Hekia Parata

"The Māoris have no right to vote. They've only got the right to be well governed."

– Paul Temm quotes a 1850s parliamentarian to demonstrate changing Pākehā attitudes to the Treaty

In the end we have to live together. [...] We have no other alternative but to look forward.

– Then Race Relations Conciliator Chris Laidlaw

I hope that by 200 years of the Treaty that we can understand each other's culture: not just the Māori understanding the Pākehā culture.

– A (Pākehā) youngster in the audience