Māori land confiscated; the Waitangi Tribunal

Under the New Zealand Settlements Act 1863, passed during the wars with Māori, the government confiscated more than 1.2 million hectares of Māori land, mainly in Waikato, Taranaki and the Bay of Plenty, and sold part of it to repay the cost of the fighting. The Treaty of Waitangi Act 1975 set up the Waitangi Tribunal to hear Māori claims against the Crown, and from 1985 claims reaching back to 1840.

The mechanism

CAPTURE

How it was checked

• EvidenceT5 INDEPENDENT SECULAR; Status: ADDED 2026-09-19
• Letter eraTHE SEAT MOVES TO THE BENCH 1713 to 1945
• SourcesRECORD — Britannica, 'New Zealand Wars'; Wikipedia, 'New Zealand land confiscations' (the Act, the area, the cost clause); Wikipedia, 'Waitangi Tribunal' · checked 19 September: Britannica (read in a browser; WebFetch is refused by the site), 'New Zealand Wars' (AI Quick Summary page); Wikipedia, 'New Zealand land confiscations' / New Zealand Settlements Act 1863; Wikipedia, 'Waitangi Tribunal'