United Tribes of New Zealand, unofficial, 1834 The United Tribes of New Zealand was a loose confeder

United Tribes of New Zealand, unofficial, 1834

The United Tribes of New Zealand was a loose confederation of Māori tribes based in the north of the North Island. British James Busby was sent to New Zealand in 1833 to serve as the official British Resident, and set up a framework for trade between Māori and Europeans.

British laws ruled that every ship must carry an official certification, so the United Tribes needed a flag to trade. Three designs were put to 25 northern Maori chiefs. The design chosen was based on the flag used by the Church Missionary Society.

When officially gazetted in Australia in 1835, the flag was altered, to fit with more standard heraldic patterns (the black fimbriation was made white, and the stars were changed to be five-pointed). Today it is widely used today as a flag by Māori groups throughout New Zealand, who also refer to it as the He Whakaputanga flag.