Book lies at the heart of Ngapuhi’s sovereignty

Book lies at the heart of Ngapuhi’s sovereignty claim

As Ngapuhi prepares to advance its Waitangi Tribunal claim that it did not cede sovereignty when it signed the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, publisher David Ling points to the landmark book that set the groundwork for this monumental claim.

“In 2002, we published Te Ara Ki Te Tiriti: The Path to the Treaty of Waitangi, by Paul Moon,” explains Ling. “It was a controversial work because not only did it make the case that the chiefs who signed the Treaty never intended to cede their sovereignty, it also for the first time pointed out that at the time the British had no intention of acquiring Maori sovereignty either.”

It is this argument that is the cornerstone of Ngapuhi’s current claim to the Waitangi Tribunal, and which could have nationwide implications if it is successful.

“The Tribunal will have no option but to recommend in Ngapuhi’s favour,” says the book’s author, Paul Moon. “The weight of evidence is so compelling that there can be no alternative. The British Government never intended the Treaty of Waitangi to seize Maori sovereignty – that was a later development which went against its policy in 1840.”

The Tribunal is due to release an interim report on Ngapuhi’s sovereignty claim later this year.

ENDS

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