Te Tiriti o Waitangi governs the relationship between Māori and the Crown and ensures the rights of Māori as tangata whenua are protected.
On the basis of te Tiriti, and also the English language text that the British Crown later presented as te Tiriti, the Waitangi Tribunal has, over time, developed a set of principles that it has presented as Treaty principles, including:
Partnership
Active protection
Participation.
These principles now inform Tiriti-based policy and practice in government and other organisations, and have led to recognition of a rights under te Tiriti, including:
Iwi have the right to organise as iwi, and, under the law, to control their resources as their own
All New Zealanders are equal before the law
The government is responsible for providing effective processes for resolving Tiriti grievances
The government has the right to make laws for all citizens.