The document discusses the history of the Maori people in New Zealand and the Treaty of Waitangi. It summarizes that the Polynesians first discovered New Zealand in 900 AD. The Treaty of Waitangi was signed in 1840 to stop conflict between Europeans and Maoris by establishing agreements over land and governance. The treaty aimed to protect Maori interests as British settlement in New Zealand increased significantly in the early 19th century.