He Kura Toi Tangata: 50 Years of the Waitangi Tribunal
About the project
The Waitangi Tribunal will mark its 50th anniversary in October 2025 — a significant milestone in Aotearoa New Zealand’s legal and cultural history. To acknowledge this occasion, a series of key events are being planned, including a photo exhibition that reflects on the Tribunal’s work and impact over the past five decades.
“He Kura Toi Tangata: 50 Years of the Waitangi Tribunal” is a curated photographic exhibition that documents the Tribunal’s significant milestones, landmark events, and the ongoing journey toward justice for Māori communities from 1975 to 2025.
The exhibition was officially launched in Waitangi on 4 February 2025, and will be on display at Te Kōngahu Museum of Waitangi from 5 February to 6 April 2025. It will then travel to Te Waka Huia o Ngā Taonga Tuku Iho | Wellington Museum in May 2025.
Grant amount
$10,500 in 2025
About
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. 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.
Visit the Waitangi Tribunal website: https://waitangitribunal.govt.nz/en
Contact
Sandra Edmonds, Deputy Director, Waitangi Tribunal Unit
04 914 3000