It polarises communities, and ignites controversy and debate, but how many of us have actually seen the Treaty of Waitangi? Te Kāea went on a hunt in Wellington to track down what many people speak about, but have never seen.
Protected by steel and glass, the nation's most important document, the Treaty of Waitangi, is in safe hands at the Archives New Zealand building in Wellington.
Jeremy Cauchi from Archives New Zealand says, “Security is important so we do have it tightly protected. But the door’s open so people can come in.”
350 people from all walks of life are expected to file through these doors to view tomorrow to see the actual Treaty.
"It's all sorts we get. We have a lot of families. They're interested in seeing the original documents, rather than a reproduction, and looking closely at the documents," says Cauchi.
With so many people coming to inspect the documents, a spokesperson for Archives New Zealand says there are strict rules around the housing of the Treaty.
Cauchi says, “It is 175 years old. It’s an elderly document. It’s very important that we keep it under very strict environmental conditions. So the temperature and humidity is very tightly controlled. What's also really important is to regulate the light exposure to the document to prevent fading to the ink.”
Doors will open at 10am to the public to view the Treaty, educating those that visit being the main goal.