Abstract
"While rangatiratanga was envisaged in te Tiriti o Waitangi, it is yet to find its expression as an evolving, living authority that is meaningful in Aotearoa today."
Indeed, there is both uncertainty and opportunity for the expression of tino rangatiratanga in our legal system. This dissertation will assess tino rangatiratanga as a foundation for expanding Māori authority and decision-making power over water resources in Aotearoa. Since the signing of te Tiriti/the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, discussion around who owns, manages, and has interests in water has remained a point of tension between Māori and the Crown.