If you want to develop your listening skills, try these tasks as you listen to the text. The answers are at the bottom of this page, after the Vocabulary and Focus on grammar. Thanks to Natasha Groves for preparing the tasks.
If you want to listen and read, just scroll down to the text.
1. Listening for main ideas
First, just listen to the text, taking notes if you wish. What information can you catch during this first listening?
2. Now listen again and answer the following questions:
- What happened on 6 February 1840?
- What has led to problems?
- What does article 1 state in Māori? And in English?
- What does article 2 state in Māori? And in English?
- Where will the Prime Minister be on Waitangi Day?
- Is everyone happy about the Prime Minister’s decision? Why/ Why not?
Text
Thursday 6 February is Waitangi Day. On this day in 1840, the Treaty of Waitangi was signed between representatives of the British Crown, or Queen Victoria, and Māori chiefs. The text of the Treaty was written in Māori and in English, but there were differences between the translations. This has led to a lot of problems in history and still now.
For example, in article 1 of the Māori text, the chiefs gave the British the right to govern, but in the English text, they gave away their sovereignty, that is, their freedom and power to govern. Thus, the English version gave the British greater control. In article 2, in the Māori text, Māori could keep their authority over the land, but in the English text, the Queen promised that Māori could keep their ownership of land for as long as they wished. The English version focused more on property rights, whereas the Māori version focused on their status in and over the land. Article 2 also said that Māori could sell the land to the Queen, but the English version emphasised that only the Crown could buy land from Māori. Thus, they had very different understandings of what they were signing, with Māori thinking they were retaining greater powers over the land than the English version stated. In addition, a lot of land was taken from Māori over the following decades, so the Crown did not keep its promise to buy land.
Every year there are meetings and sometimes protests at Waitangi to remember the signing of the Treaty. The meetings started today and finish on Thursday. Many Māori leaders as well as politicians go to Waitangi, but this year the Prime Minister, Christopher Luxon, is not going. He decided last year that he would celebrate the day with Māori somewhere else in New Zealand. Other Prime Ministers in the past have also chosen not to go to Waitangi every year, but some Māori are disappointed that Luxon made this decision this year, because the Treaty Principles Bill is being discussed now. They think it would be better that the head of the government is at Waitangi to join this discussion.
However, the leader of the ACT party, David Seymour, who introduced the Treaty Principles Bill, is going to Waitangi. As a result, there will likely be a lot of discussion and perhaps protest about the Bill.
For more information about the Treaty Principles Bill, listen to the story from 18 November 2024.
Vocabulary
treaty – an agreement between two groups or countries
sovereignty – complete freedom and power to govern
version – a copy of something that is slightly different from another copy
authority – the power that someone has because of their position
status – someone’s position in society, or the respect and importance that someone has
retain – to keep
Focus on grammar: The passive voice
Fill in the gaps with the correct form of the passive, then listen to the text to check your answers.
- On this day in 1840, the Treaty of Waitangi _________ _________ between representatives of the British Crown, or Queen Victoria, and Māori chiefs.
- The text of the Treaty ________ ________ in Māori and in English …
- In addition, a lot of land ________ ________ from Māori over the following decades, so the Crown did not keep its promise to buy land from Māori.
- … some Māori are disappointed that Luxon made this decision this year, because the Treaty Principles Bill ________ ________ ________ now.
Answers
a. What happened on 6 February 1840?
The Treaty of Waitangi was signed.
b. What has led to problems?
Differences between the Māori and English translations.
c. What does article 1 state in Māori? And in English?
In Māori: British were given the right to govern over the land.
In English: the Māori chiefs gave away their freedom and power to govern, so the British had greater control.
d. What does article 2 state in Māori? And in English?
In Māori: Māori could keep their authority over the land and their status. They could sell the land to the Queen.
In English: Māori could keep their ownership of land for as long as they wished. Only the Crown could buy land from Māori.
e. What did the Prime Minister decide?
He won’t go to Waitangi. Instead, he’ll celebrate the day with Māori somewhere else in New Zealand.
f. Is everyone happy about the Prime Minister’s decision? Why/ Why not?
No. Some think he should be at Waitangi to join discussions about the Treaty Principles Bill.