Waitangi Tribunal theme A - Old land claims [pdf, 7.2 MB]
...promised Maori that 'the Queen would not interfere with their native laws nor customs'. 5 This promise was consistent with Norrnanby's instruction to Hobson that he protect Maori 'observance of their own customs,.6 Again, this statement may have carried a subtle implication that the Crown's presumptive rights included the recognition of aboriginal title, but for Maori (and we do not know how the statement was expressed in their language) it probably carried with i...