Originally a LinkedIn post from yesterday.
What is special about 28 October ?
28 October 1835 was a rare day in the history of the British Crown. It marks the acceptance and recognition of the Declaration of Independence of the United Tribes of New Zealand / He Whakaputanga o te Rangatiratanga o Nu Tireni. It was the recognition of these Ngāpuhi Iwi and hapu as a sovereign people.
Still confused about the two-flag thing? The St-George-cross looking flag was originally designed by Anglican missionaries for their use but its selection (from a choice of 3 designs) by Ngāpuhi chiefs became their first sovereign act post the Declaration of Independence. Now colloquially referred to as Te Kara or The Colours.
Aside from being indicia of sovereignty, Māori trading ships needed to start flying a flag when visiting Port Jackson, else they be impounded. One legend even tried using a puipui as a flag. They got impounded.
The United Tribes flag became habeas corpus up a flagpole.
He Whakaputanga predates the Treaty by 5 years. Te Tiriti is NZ Founding Document BUT He Whakaputanga is the heads of agreement to that document. HW establishes Māori as a party with standing to enter legally binding treaties. Which they later did.
It is a declaration recognised by the Crown that those Ngāpuhi rangatira held both imperium and dominium over their lands and waters (although the deeper land law Latin was unlikely to have been poured over, this was the effect of 1835 recognition).
HW-1835 is a WRITTEN sovereignty receipt that can’t be disputed. Whatever mumbo jumbo weird stuff that modern tory Kiwis throw at Te Tiriti, HW is documented and marked by the flying of Te Kara. This equates to British Crown recognition of that Ngāpuhi sovereignty/tino rangatiratanga which was never ceded 5 years later.
That’s why the Tino flag and Te Kara fly together. Even if your whanau have been on Gadigal Country for 114 years, if you whakapapa back to Rāhiri, you fly both flags.
#ToitūTeTiriti
#HeWhakaputanga
#ManaMotuhake
Mat Henderson 