Wellington, New Zealand – 1 May 2017: For immediate release
NZSTI presents the book Treaty Times Thirty containing 30 translations of the Treaty of Waitangi to His Worship Mayor
Wayne Guppy
On Thursday 11 May 2017, on behalf of the New Zealand Society of Translators and Interpreters (NZSTI), the organisers of
the Treaty Times Thirty project will present the book The Treaty Times Thirty to His Worship Mayor Wayne Guppy at a public event at the Upper Hutt City Library at 6pm.
One hundred and sixteen translators worked together on the translations of the English and Māori versions of the Treaty
into 30 languages, including New Zealand Sign Language. This is the result of a project conceived to celebrate the
Society's 30th anniversary.
'The translations of the Treaty of Waitangi in the many languages of our country will add significantly to people’s
understanding of New Zealand’s founding agreement' said Treaty expert Dame Claudia Orange, a key supporter of the
initiative. Project spokesperson Stefan Grand Meyer adds 'the publication of the translations aims to make the Treaty
more accessible to immigrants, and to encourage a better understanding of the Treaty internationally.' As former
Settlement Support Officer for the Upper Hutt City Council, Cecilia Titulaer said ‘The Upper Hutt City Council, led by
Mayor Guppy, has always been very supportive of the ethnic communities living in our city. I hope this book makes them
feel even more at home’.
The Treaty Times Thirty project also stresses the importance of translation in New Zealand, and highlights the
translator's difficult task of re-expressing identical meaning from one language to another. It shows the importance of
professional and accurate translations.
The project has received the support of major organisations such as Archives New Zealand, the Office of Ethnic
Communities, the Delegation of the European Union to New Zealand and the Ministry for Culture and Heritage. It is hoped
that the resulting book, The Treaty Times Thirty, will be seen as a valuable gift to all New Zealanders.
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