Declaration of the Independence of New Zealand

The Declaration of the Independence of New Zealand, in Māori He Whakaputanga o te Rangatiratanga o Nu Tireni, was signed at Waitangi on 28 October 1835 by 34 northern Māori chiefs, organised by the British Resident James Busby. It declared New Zealand an independent state under the United Tribes, with sovereignty held by the hereditary chiefs, and asked King William IV to act as protector. By 1839 it had 52 signatories; it preceded the Treaty of Waitangi of 1840.