E oho! The English text of the Treaty of Waitangi

Join lawyer and historian Dr Ned Fletcher as he shares the research findings of his latest book ‘The English Text of the Treaty of Waitangi’ (Bridget Williams Books, 2022).

A focus on the English text of the Treaty of Waitangi
In this first E oho! for 2023 join us for a fascinating discussion with Dr Ned Fletcher author of The English Text of the Treaty of Waitangi.

The English Text of the Treaty of Waitangi enriches our understanding of the original purpose and vision of Te Tiriti o Waitangi / The Treaty of Waitangi and its foundational role in Aotearoa New Zealand. Through groundbreaking scholarship, Fletcher concludes that the Māori and English texts of the Treaty reconcile, and that those who framed the English text intended Māori to have continuing rights to self-government (rangatiratanga) and ownership of their lands. This original understanding of the Treaty, however, was then lost in the face of powerful forces in the British Empire post-1840, as hostility towards indigenous peoples grew alongside increased intolerance of plural systems of government. — (from the Bridget Williams website)

A masterful exegesis … the quality of Dr Fletcher’s research and the power of his reasoning demands attention and respect. There will be those who differ; as I have said, contestation is the Treaty’s only consistent companion. But Dr Fletcher has shifted the debate’s centre of gravity, and for that, Treaty law, history and scholarship owe him a debt of gratitude. — The Hon. Justice Sir Joe Williams (from the foreword of The English Text of the Treaty of Waitangi)

About the speaker
Ned Fletcher (Pākehā) is a director of Kayes Fletcher Walker Ltd, an Auckland law firm which is the office of the Manukau Crown Solicitor. In 2015, he was awarded a PhD for his thesis on the meaning of the English text of the Treaty of Waitangi.