The Treaty through Christian Eyes

30 Jan 2009

Since it was first introduced in 1960 and then instituted as a public holiday in 1972, Waitangi Day and the treaty it celebrates has been regarded with some ambiguity by many New Zealanders, Christian and non-Christian  alike. How are we to make sense of the founding document that forged us into a modern nation?

The answer to that question may lie in an appreciation of biblical covenant and the remarkable story of Maori evangelisation prior to the mid-19th century. It is a story not entirely in keeping with the secularist viewpoints that have been prominent for some years, and it deserves to be told.

New Zealand's greatest Christian revival

By the late 1830s, Christian missionaries had made considerable inroads into Maori iwi. By 1845, over half of Maori were Christian, with 42,700 as Anglican, 16,000 Methodist and 5000 Roman Catholic. This is undoubtedly the greatest revival New Zealand has seen and yet it is virtually unrecognised as such.

The translation of Scripture into Maori and the rapid growth of literacy through mission schools were major factors in this remarkable achievement. European missionaries were learning basic lessons in anthropology and moving away from a dominant civilising agenda. In addition, there was the remarkable spread of the Gospel by Maori themselves, especially Christian slaves released by their now Christian masters.

It was a common occurrence for European missionaries to arrive in pa and kainga never before seen by a European, only to find a church already built and an active worshipping congregation! Maori, exhausted by the massive upheaval of the musket wars, turned in large numbers to Christ.

Treaty protection for Maori

Prior to 1840, an equally fascinating Christian phenomenon was unfolding in the United Kingdom. The British Colonial Office was heavily represented by members of the radical evangelical group known as the Clapham Sect (of William Wilberforce fame). The Colonial Secretary himself (Lord Glenelg) was a member of this remarkable group, which was committed to the protection of the interests of indigenous peoples.

New Zealand was a deep concern for these individuals - the large scale colonisation plans of the New Zealand Company in places like Wellington, Nelson and Taranaki, negative influences of European whaling and trading activities, the devastation of the musket wars and threat of French annexation all militated together to demand action.

It was agreed that the British Government needed to enter into a formal treaty with Maori that would protect indigenous Maori rights over land, bush, river and seas in exchange for British protection and sovereignty. Lieut-Governor William Hobson was dispatched from Sydney to achieve that end.

On 6 February 1840, the treaty was signed at Waitangi in the Bay of Islands. Historian Claudia Orange draws attention to the strong covenantal understanding with which Maori chiefs (starting especially with Ngapuhi) approached the treaty. These men understood and interpreted the treaty on the same terms as a biblical covenant between themselves and the Queen of England and it is this covenantal undergirding that offers an effective means of appreciating the significance of the treaty.

Ignoring the promises made

By 1851, however, 37,000 European settlers had arrived in New Zealand and already governments were choosing to ignore the protections of the treaty for Maori in the frantic grab for land. As Maori began to realise the treaty covenant was not going to be honoured many deserted the Christian faith or adapted new Maori expressions like Ringatu. Some iwi resorted to arms.

As warfare broke out in Northland, Wellington, Taranaki, Waikato, Bay of Plenty and East Coast, British regiments were despatched to deal with the threat and the government confiscated huge areas of land.

The Treaty of Waitangi document itself went missing from the mid 1860s until it was rediscovered in a rodent and water-damaged state in 1908.

Choosing to honour a covenant

The Treaty of Waitangi established an ongoing covenant of partnership between Maori and settlers. Salvationists understand this concept of 'covenant'. Covenant runs like a golden thread through the Old and New Testaments (or 'covenants'). Covenant lies at the heart of the Salvationistís dedication, marriage, soldier and officer vows. Other Christians hold similar values. Covenant is not contract; it is open ended. It is based on a relationship of trust and understanding.

Now that the treaty is being honoured and restored to its rightful place in New Zealand, we Christians possess a powerful lens with which to view it. The vision and understanding of those signatory chiefs is the same vision and understanding that can help us today - a covenantal view that recognises strong Christian imperatives at work in the signing of the treaty and that provides a biblical foundation of understanding of our treaty obligations.

By David Noakes (from War Cry magazine)