ABSTRACT
The words mana and rangatiratanga express Māori notions of absolute power and authority, the Māori notion of sovereignty. Mana Māori motuhake is an overarching term for the distinct mana of the Māori people. This chapter considers the meanings of these and other related terms, and their practical application. Indigenous sovereignty elsewhere as articulated by Elders and scholars resonates with Māori. Sovereignty is a cultural notion and while Indigenous cultures share a number of similarities, the English notion of sovereignty derives from cultural values that are antithetical to ours. When the English brought their notion of sovereignty to Aotearoa, our ancestors issued a formal declaration in 1835 that the country was under the mana and rangatiratanga of our leaders and that would never change. In 1840, they entered into a treaty with the British that confirmed our tino rangatiratanga and devolved governance over British immigrants to the Queen of England. Whites disregarded these constitutional documents and pursued their cruel and brutal regime of colonisation relying on the Doctrine of Discovery. It delivered them significant privilege while traumatising Māori. This chapter discusses the background to and the illegitimate process adopted by the British along with the steps Māori have taken to ensure that our sovereignty is upheld.
