Rā Whakamana, October 28, a nationwide day of solidarity between iwi and unions, marked the signing of He Whakaputanga in 1835, and the first Labour Day demonstrations in 1890. (Photo: Layla Bailey-McDowell / RNZ)

He Whakaputanga, the 1835 Declaration of Independence signed by northern rangatira — which some refer to as the parent of Te Tiriti — is gaining fame, writes Catherine Delahunty.

Last week, I was planning to fly into Pōneke to be part of two events commemorating He Whakaputanga o te Rangatiratanga of Nu Tīreni.

That’s the Declaration of Independence of New Zealand, which was agreed to and signed by northern rangatira in Waitangi on October 28, 1835 — five years before the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

It was the first declaration of hapū sovereignty — and it’s been gaining fame, hence the visit to the capital.

But as a storm approached from the south and multiple flights were cancelled, I found myself on the road, driving into the darkening landscape.

It was a long day, but when I got to Horowhenua, the countryside was suddenly ablaze with flags, dancing in the wind. The white, blue, black and red of the flags of He Whakaputanga and Tino Rangatiratanga had turned the entrance to the village of Kuku into an avenue of self-determination.

The colours of history stood out against a grey sky and the green desert of dairy paddocks. We’d driven through this village nearly a year ago on our way to join the hīkoi against the Treaty Principles Bill, and now it seemed that the number of flags had doubled. Rumour has it that someone had attacked the flags, prompting the community to put up many more.

I felt the brightness in my heart, so welcome after another grim year of attacks on tangata whenua, takutai moana, and te reo — not to mention pay equity and the environment, and those whose basic needs for housing, healthcare and a decent standard of living continue to be unmet.

Tino Rangatiratanga, He Whakaputanga and Toitū Te Tiriti flags lining both sides of State Highway 1 between Ōtaki and Levin. (Supplied / Tipi Wehipeihana)

I remembered the flags at Kuku as I sat at Te Herenga Waka marae the next day, October 28, listening to so many good people whose dedication to Te Tiriti is founded on a recognition that He Whakaputanga set the agenda.

I’ve heard He Whakaputanga called the parent of Te Tiriti, but it’s certainly not as widely known.

Many of us have been educated and inspired by Te Tai Tokerau kaumātua speaking about He Whakaputanga in the 2012 report “Ngāpuhi Speaks”. And historian Vincent O’Malley also provides a comprehensive overview in his introduction to He Whakaputanga: The Declaration of Independence, 1835.

The declaration was signed by 34 northern rangatira in 1835, with a further 18 chiefs from the north and elsewhere signing right up until July 1939.

As O’Malley notes, He Whakaputanga was the means by which Māori leaders declared their mana and sovereignty to the world.

He writes that He Whakaputanga — which can mean “an emergence”, referring to the birth of a new nation, Nu Tireni (New Zealand) — also marked “steps towards unified forms of governance among the many different rangatira and their hapū and iwi”.

“This new sense of nationhood was still in its infancy at the time of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840. Yet for many Māori, the Treaty did not, and could not, erase the clear assertion of rangatiratanga — chiefly authority or sovereignty — made through He Whakaputanga. For that reason and others, He Whakaputanga remains a taonga of great significance today.”

He Whakaputanga has four articles, which O’Malley sets out here:

In its first article, the hereditary chiefs of northern New Zealand declared their country to be an independent state (whenua rangatira) under the designation of “The United Tribes of New Zealand”.

Article two declared all sovereign power (kīngitanga) and authority in the land (mana i te whenua) to be held by the chiefs in their collective capacity. There was to be no other legislative authority, except by persons they appointed, acting under the authority of laws they had enacted in congress.

In the third article, the rangatira committed to meeting in congress at Waitangi each autumn for the purposes of framing laws, and invited southern tribes to set aside their animosities by joining the confederation of united tribes.

In the final article, the chiefs agreed to send a copy of their agreement to the English King. They asked that he be a parent (matua) to their infant state and protect it from all attempts on its independence.

What is clear from He Whakaputanga is that there was never a ceding of any kind of sovereignty to Britain. Not then, nor five years later, when Te Tiriti was signed at Waitangi.

This year was the first time tangata whenua and the unions celebrated October 28 together. Te Rā Whakamana events were held all over the country, including a hui in the small town I come from, where people gathered to kōrero about He Whakaputanga.

There have always been powerful Māori leaders in the union movement, including the fierce and inspirational Syd Jackson, who recognised the connection between class warfare and colonisation, and how they’re aligned in the fight for justice.

Together, there is power. Let’s never forget the history of solidarity between the two, such as the Takaparawhau (Bastion Point) land struggle and the union ban that supported it.

I hope Rā Whakamana will become a tradition. October 28, February 6, Labour Day, May Day, November 5 (the anniversary of Parihaka’s peaceful resistance to invasion), Matariki — these are all opportunities to have the bigger conversations.

Rā Whakamana, October 28, a nationwide day of solidarity between iwi and unions. It marked the signing of He Whakaputanga in 1835, and the first Labour Day demonstrations in 1890. (Photo: Layla Bailey-McDowell / RNZ)

Driving north the next day, I saw in low cloud the foothills of Ruapehu and Tongariro maunga covered in late spring snow. It took me back to the last interview by Julian Wilcox with Ariki Tumu Te Heuheu Tukino VIII, the Ngāti Tūwharetoa paramount chief who died in September. In that powerful interview for The Hui, Sir Tumu said his wish was to take the Tongariro maunga back, because of the Crown’s failure to include Ngāti Tūwharetoa in decisions about their maunga.

For me, this was yet another reason why it’s past time for positive steps towards honouring He Whakaputanga and Te Tiriti.

Turkeys will not vote for Christmas, and the government will not lead constitutional change, or promote policies to advance workers’ rights or land back strategies.

But we don’t need to wait for the government. People and organisations can lead this work if we’re prepared to follow tangata whenua guidance on what that looks like.

Catherine Delahunty is a Pākehā activist in environmental, social justice, and Te Tiriti o Waitangi issues. She is a writer and a tutor on social change issues, and a grandmother. Catherine was a Green MP for nine years and lives in Hauraki.

E-Tangata, 2025