In this episode, Mike King follows not one but two of the nine treaty sheets — the copies of the Treaty of Waitangi signed by Māori chiefs in the 1840s. King explores the history of the two linked sheets — one in English, one in te reo. He heads to the lands of Waikato Tainui, and Manukau in South Auckland, and with treaty expert Claudia Orange, probes the mystery of why some Māori signed the English sheet. He also meets ex Waitangi Tribunal chair Joe Williams, learns about the birth of the Kīngitanga, and asks some Ngāti Tahinga people if their ancestors really knew what they were signing, all those years ago.
He wouldn’t allow his mana to sit under the mantle of a woman.– Waikato expert Rahui Papa (Waikato–Tainui) on Pōtatau Te Wherowhero's refusal to sign the treaty
Ponsonby Productions
Ponsonby Productions
Made with funding from NZ On Air
Theme song 'Ancestors' written by Moana Maniapoto, performed by Moana and the Tribe
Features songs performed by Moana and the Tribe
More on the nine sheets of the Treaty of Waitangi, NZ History
Section on the Treaty of Waitangi, Archives New Zealand website
Interview with treaty expert Claudia Orange, E-Tangata, February 2021
Extended interview with ex Waitangi Tribunal chair Joe Williams, E-Tangata, May 2021
Profile of treaty supporter William Cornwallis Symonds, The NZ Herald, August 2010
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