Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Reasons for NOT signing the Treaty of Waitangi

There were many reasons for Maori to not sign the Treaty of Waitangi. Many Maori chiefs refused to have their mana put under that of a woman (Queen Victoria). Some chiefs were worried that signing the Treaty with the Queen would result in the loss of even more land, and did not trust the missionaries, who were buying a lot of the land. Concerns were also raised over the fact that some Maori had heard about the extermination (killing), of many indigenous (native) people by the British in other countries, in particular the aborigines in Australia. Although over 500 signatures eventually appeared on the Treaty, many Maori did refuse to sign due to a variety of reasons.

Other reasons for why some people did not sign the Treaty of Waitangi:
- Chiefs might have lived in the interior, away from the coast, and the treaty is not brought to him for signing.
- Some were offended as Hobson did not provide them with a big feast to celebrate the signing of the treaty.
- Some wanted to keep full control over their affairs

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