Illustration showing the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi on 6 February 1840 by representatives of the British Crown and Maori chiefs, from the North Island of New Zealand. It has become a document of central importance to the history, to the political constitution of the state, and to the national myths of New Zealand, and has played a major role in framing the political relations between New Zealand's government and the Maori population, especially from the late-20th century.