Before The Treaty of Waitangi: A Critical Historiography, 1841–1986

<p><strong>Historiographical discussions of the Treaty of Waitangi/Te Tiriti o Waitangi have tended to focus on issues and debates subsequent to the publication of Claudia Orange’s 1987 The Treaty of Waitangi. Those which have discussed earlier histories have done so as a brief prelude to modern understandings, or else focus on individual historians and their legacy. As a result, the early antecedents of modern views, the tensions within them, and the broader trends and societal contexts underpinning later views are understudied. This study takes a longer-term view of the development of views in Treaty history from 1841 to 1986. It identifies persistent tensions between interpretations of the Treaty as sacred, coherent, and foundational, or ambiguous, flawed, and duplicitous—contradictory views that often coexisted in historians’ work. It contends that historical work has been most fruitful when attempting to capture the tension within the Treaty as both a vehicle for meeting Māori needs, and an ideological object open to manipulation. Emphasis on one or the other side has served diverse practical ends, aligning with or opposing Māori movements at different times. Treaty history has consistently reflected contemporary Crown-Māori relations, acting as a proxy for broader political debates. Challenging assumptions in critical historiography that political considerations undermine historical integrity, this study argues that such engagement is necessary when studying politically charged symbols like the Treaty. The study concludes with the suggestion that revisiting the tensions in older Treaty history is timely in an era of growing concern over the potential reversal of Treaty-based reforms, and new contradictions in scholarly views on the Treaty.</strong></p>