The Treaty of Waitangi is certainly a controversial issue at the moment, especially in regards to the upcoming election. It seems that Don Brash is playing the Treaty card again - perhaps he should has saved his Orewa speech until now? For the latest news on the election and the Treaty you might want to check out the New Zealand Herald website here.

Whether we like it or not, the Treaty of Waitangi is a big part of our lives. Many people will interpret it in different ways, and have varying views on its importance. But what is known is that it is part of what gives this country its identity. It is a part of our culture and heritage. Whether it is right for one racial group to abuse this document and what it means, or whether it is right one another racial group to try and remove it from our society as much as possible is beside the point. There will always be disagreement over the Treaty. I beleive that you should read up on and research the Treaty and form your own opinions regarding the Treaty. For many Year 10 students in New Zealand this is a compulsary part of their education anyway.

A good place to start, for information about the Treaty of Waitangi, is the governments official Treaty website, treatyofwaitangi.govt.nz. Here you can read the what the Treaty actually says, as well as the historical information and events surrounding the Treat and its signing. Case studies and an informative timeline are but some of what is on offer, apart from the ability to send away for free copies of some booklets on the Treaty. This site will be especially helpful for school students studying the Treaty.

If you would like additional information on the treaty, NZHistory.net has a page of Treaty related links here.