Author(s): Robert Macdonald

Maori History, Society & Culture | Secondhand

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In 1840, Maori chiefs met with Queen Victoria's representatives in New Zealand and signed the Treaty of Waitangi, which handed sovereignty of their country over to the British Crown. In return, they were given certain guarantees regarding their land, forests and fisheries. There is little of New Zealand left in Maori hands nowadays, but a new political assertiveness amongst young Maoris has led them to question why their people have become a disadvantaged minority.