It was only with some trepidation that I accepted your invitation to speak about the Treaty of Waitangi and the rights of indigenous people, a most controversial subject in New Zealand. At one level, the debates here replicate those that are occurring elsewhere in the world. But at a second level, much depends on the distinctive history of the Treaty in New Zealand, which has no obvious parallels elsewhere. My ignorance of the particulars of that history and the detail of the Treaty of Waitangi is profound. I must from the outset disclaim familiarity with the relevant literature, the judicial decisions on the Treaty, or even current political developments on this issue.