The enduring constitutional crisis in New Zealand stems from the conflict between the 1835 Declaration of Independence (He Whakaputanga), which asserted absolute Māori Sovereignty, and the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi. The Māori text of the Treaty, signed by the vast majority of chiefs, granted the Crown only Governorship (Kawanatanga), critically retaining full Māori authority (Tino Rangatiratanga). This key distinction directly contradicted the English text, which purported to claim a complete cession of Sovereignty. Despite the overwhelming Māori consent being given to the text protecting their Tino Rangatiratanga, the Crown proceeded to govern the country based on the English version. This foundational discrepancy, sidelining the prior Māori sovereignty, is the root of the political and legal challenges defining modern Aotearoa New Zealand.