A changing idea of who we are

New Zealand identity has never belonged to just one person or one story. It is shaped by people, events, languages, places and debates—and it changes over time. Read these notes before answering. • In 1840, Te Tiriti o Waitangi / the Treaty of Waitangi was signed by representatives of the British Crown and many Māori rangatira. The texts in te reo Māori and English differ in important ways. People continue to discuss the Treaty’s meaning and how to honour its principles. • In 1893, New Zealand became the first self-governing country in which women won the right to vote in parliamentary elections. Kate Sheppard and many other campaigners helped make this change. • In 1935, the first Labour government took office. Its policies helped expand the role of the state in supporting people’s wellbeing. • In 1987, te reo Māori became an official language of New Zealand. Māori language revitalisation has also been supported by communities, schools and initiatives such as kōhanga reo. • In 2008, Sir Edmund Hillary appeared on the new series of New Zealand’s five-dollar banknote. His mountaineering achievements and later work with communities in Nepal made him widely admired. These milestones do not tell the whole history. For example, the vote in 1893 did not include everyone equally: Māori women and men had different voting arrangements from those for the general electorates. Historical change often involves both progress and unfinished questions.