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English Audio Request

mrsbailleux
222 Words / 1 Recordings / 2 Comments
Note to recorder:

Natural speed please :)
Any accent

At the beginning of the 19th century, over 100,000 Maori populated Aotearoa and small groups of Europeans lived as guests of local iwi. But, by 1830, over 1,000 ships were visiting New Zealand each year. Lawlessness had become a big problem, and property speculators pressured Maori into bad land deals. In addition, concerns the French wanted to annex New Zealand prompted 13 Maori Northern chiefs to petition King William IV for protection. Trade continued to flourish, and by 1835, Maori had an economic need for nationhood, and The Declaration of Independence was signed. Crowded Britain saw an opportunity to bring New Zealand into its empire, and the Crown sent William Hobson to negotiate sovereignty over part or all of New Zealand. Within a week of arriving, Hobson hurriedly penned an agreement, and on February 6th, 1840, the Treaty of Waitangi was signed. But, there were complications with the translation. In the Maori version, the word ‘sovereignty’ was translated as ‘kawanatanga’. Chiefs believed they retained the right to manage their own affairs. The English version guaranteed ‘undisturbed possession’ of all properties. The Maori version was translated this as ‘tino rangatiratanga’ or full authority over their treasures or ‘taonga’ which can be intangible. Essentially, both the Crown and Maori believed they held sovereignty. This has been at the heart of the conflict since 1840.

Recordings

Comments

nenofite
July 10, 2020

Not sure about the pronunciation of the Maori terms, but I gave it a shot. Hope it's helpful!

mrsbailleux
July 11, 2020

Thank you so much nenofite ! your pronunciation is wonderful !

Overview

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