the ceremony took place at waitangi in the bay of islands.he british began to explore new zealand at the beginning of the 19th century. traders and missionaries came from france, but the mauri did not like them. one day. the french staged a massacre here. the mauri chiefs even sent a letter to the king of england asking for their protection. according to the treaty of waitangi for mauri was assigned all property and non-property rights. in return, they recognized the authority of london and transferred to the british the rights to purchase their lands. however, the colonists began to take land from the mauri, and due to wars and disease from europe, the indigenous population was reduced by a third. in the 20th century it grew again, and the treaty of aitang became part of the constitution. the document ensures the equality of all inhabitants of the new zealand islands, self-government of the mauryas, the obligation of the state to compensate for damage caused to tribes in the past, and february 6 is celebrated in new zealand as a national hol