Name: ‘Karanga Rā, 50 Years of The Waitangi Tribunal’ film screening — part of Mana Māori Motuhake series
Start: 2025-09-25T23:00:00+12:00
End: 2025-09-26T07:00:00+12:00
Location: Corner Molesworth and Aitken Streets, Thorndon, Wellington, New Zealand 6011

$\u2018Karanga R\u0101, 50 Years of The Waitangi Tribunal\u2019 film screening \u2014 part of Mana M\u0101ori Motuhake series$

Visit the Library and experience ‘Karanga Rā’, a powerful documentary that traces the transformative journey of the Waitangi Tribunal and its role in shaping the meaning and impact of the Treaty of Waitangi since 1975.
The film will screen on loop from 10am to 5pm in the National Library’s Taiwhanga Kauhau Auditorium.
Documenting the impact of the Waitangi Tribunal
The documentary Karanga Rā commemorates 50 years since the creation of the Waitangi Tribunal, reflecting on its profound impact in reshaping Treaty conversations across Aotearoa. The Waitangi Tribunal was established by the Treaty of Waitangi Act 1975.
Since the Treaty was signed in 1840, Māori have raised numerous complaints to the Crown about breaches of its terms, but these petitions and protests were often ignored. In 1877, one judge even described the Treaty as a ‘legal nullity’. By the 1970s, Māori protests over unresolved Treaty grievances were growing, sometimes occurring outside the law.
A legal process for investigating Treaty claims
The establishment of the Waitangi Tribunal by Parliament provided a formal legal process for investigating Māori Treaty claims. Through its inquiries, the Tribunal helps address Treaty claims and foster reconciliation between Māori and the Crown.
The Waitangi Tribunal website: https://waitangitribunal.govt.nz/en
Image: Portrait of Justice Joe Williams. Photo courtesy of Haututū Creatives.