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New Zealand republic debate complicated by Māori treaty

A sign on the Waitangi Treaty Grounds where the Treaty of Waitangi was first signed between Maori and the British Crown on Feb. 6, 1840, detailing the history, is seen in Waitangi, northern New Zealand on Oct. 5, 2020. The debate in New Zealand over becoming a republic has an unusual twist: Many Indigenous Maori support New Zealand sticking with the monarchy, unlike the Indigenous people in many other former British colonies. That's because Maori signed a treaty with the British Crown in 1840 that guarantees them certain rights, and some Maori fear a constitutional change could threaten those rights. (AP Photo/Mark Baker) Visitors to the Waitangi Treaty Grounds where the Treaty of Waitangi was first signed between Maori and the British Crown on Feb. 6, 1840, inspect Te Whare Runanga, a traditional meeting house in Waitangi, northern New Zealand on Oct. 5, 2020. The debate in New Zealand over becoming a republic has an unusual twist: Many Indigenous Maori support New Zealand sticking with the monarchy, unlike the Indigenous people in many other former British colonies. That's because Maori signed a treaty with the British Crown in 1840 that guarantees them certain rights, and some Maori fear a constitutional change could threaten those rights. (AP Photo/Mark Baker) People walk on the Waitangi Treaty Grounds where the Treaty of Waitangi was first signed between Maori and the British Crown on Feb. 6, 1840, in Waitangi, northern New Zealand on Oct. 5, 2020. The debate in New Zealand over becoming a republic has an unusual twist: Many Indigenous Maori support New Zealand sticking with the monarchy, unlike the Indigenous people in many other former British colonies. That's because Maori signed a treaty with the British Crown in 1840 that guarantees them certain rights, and some Maori fear a constitutional change could threaten those rights. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)
New Zealand republic debate complicated by Māori treaty