Thoughts about today

I began to consider why we only had two slides on the Musket wars while we had two handouts for this topic... it seemed a little off. Today I began to create a new slideshow subset for the Musket Wars. I'll show this to you this week.

It ought to help explain the importance of this period on Maori society and culture to you and help explain the changes that occurred to New Zealand during these conflicts, as well as the impact of Europeans and the increasing British influence after 1834... it should also help you construct yuor own Cmap in the Com labs next week.

Cheers

Exacting Revenge - The Wrath of Hika

It seems such a pity that this time period is almost ignored or downplayed in many of our older history’s. As you will have found reading through the Handout it was a period of real drama, tragedy, ruthlessness and heroism. The timeline doesn’t really do this event justice – I blamed the lack of space but also a full chronology would have been unnecessarily complex and confusing for our purposes.

First lets look at traditional Maori warfare. It usually meant fighting between closely related Hapu. These Hapu sometimes joined together to fight as an Iwi against their wider relations that bordered their lands. Rarely did they venture beyond this, although they might in order to support their (related) neighbours against other (unrelated) Iwi. Apart form anything else they could not carry enough food to sustain a long campaign.(it makes better sense on the whiteboard). The musket and the potato changed this, allowing taua like te Amiowhenua in 1819 and 1822 to be away for almost 18 months.

The wars have also been called the ‘Potato’ wars based on the idea that it was the growing of the humble spud which allowed Maori to supply large enough quantities to trade for the Musket.

It could be called the UTU wars. Hongi sought revenge for “The Feast of Seagulls’ at Moremonui (1808) and the capture and sale of his kinswomen by the Venus in 1806. It seems that his fostering of relations with the Missionaries and trip to England was fuelled by the desire to acquire some of the “thousand, thousand muskets’ kept in the Tower (of London).

It also meant that when the gifts he received fell short of what he needed he was happy to sell Baron de Theirry 40,000 acres of land at the Hokianga. (Hongi of course came from the Bay of Islands). Accounts of what he did with the suit of armour vary from one story to the next, but he did keep part of it which helped him in at least one encounter but did not stop a musket ball from eventually killing him after fighting with his kin in 1828.

Together with Te Morenga, in 1818 he fell upon the Whanau-a-Apanui and Ngati Porou for the killing and eating of their kin. He claimed to have laid waste to 500 kainga and pa in the time he was away. Hongi waited 17 years to seek final vengeance against the Ngati Whatua driving the remnants into the Waikato. This was to allay the deaths of his brothers and sister – especially in the way she died. (the yucky uterus story!)

(New 2008) Its interesting to note that Hika waited so long to exact revenge. Utu was incredibly important and the loss of brothers and the awful death of his sister left a lasting desire for revenge in Hika. This did not stop him from allowing Ngati Whatua to accompany the Ngapuhi on te Amiowhenua. This seems to be because in 1818 the two Taua had only 50 muskets, luckily the Iwi they faced had none. It seems that Belich's THREE stages is important here. Hika was in the first stage in 1818, having some guns. He needed to find more guns in order to reach stage 2 thus his trip to London to find those 'thousand thousand guns'. Reaching stage 2 before anyone else really sparked the arms race that would typify the 1820's and 1830's.

Even the Waikato waited 30 years to inflict utu on the Ngati Toa when they forced them to flee from Kawhia. Later Ngapuhi rampages were possibly to keep the Iwi he had decimated from regrouping and attacking him in turn. It also allowed Hongi to capture more slaves for his gardens and ovens. It didn’t do any harm to his reputation or mana either. Defeats in the mid-1820’s seem to prove that once armed with muskets other Iwi could adequately defend themselves against the Ngapuhi.

Te Rauparaha’s rampage against the Nagi Tahu appears to have been as much a grab for the riches of Pounamu, but it was also in revenge for the death of a Ngati Toa chief at Kaiapoi . His capture of a Ngai Tahu chief who was subsequently tortured and killed (including the drinking of blood and eating of eyes). The use of the Elizabeth would of course add to British worries about New Zealand.

It also becomes complex when you try to figure out who fought who for what reasons. Complexity can be seen in the fact that despite harbouring a need for utu Hongi allowed Ngati Whatua to join the Amiowhenua expedition only to turn on them later when it suited him (Revenge a dish best served cold?).

We need to consider to the effects of the musket, most Historians seem to agree that the Musket did not increase the Maori propensity for war, it just made the effects worse. (Ballara) The potato allowed Maori to trade for guns, as well as giving them a more reliable and transportable food supply – carried on the backs of slaves who themselves were a source of food.

Tribes that lacked guns suffered horrendous losses. The massacre of Arawa at Mokoia island is just one example. Thousands of slaves were taken and used in the production of even more potatoes (and moko mokai) for trade. Tribes were reduced in number, eradicated or displaced. Large areas of the country were depopulated or left wastelands.

Iwi like the Ngati Whatua were forced to live with their Waikato kin while they waited ‘for the coast to clear.’ Others like the Ngati Toa abandoned their lands altogether to move to Kapiti, attacking many Iwi along the way.

As each tribe suffered attacks and loss they then began to seek Europeans, either Missionaries or Traders who could supply guns. They changed their lifestyle and economy to acquire the one thing that could protect them. The ripple effect moved from north to south, mainly from Ngapuhi down. Ngai Tahu in the deep south had whalers/sealers who supplied them with guns, which severely weakened northern Ngai Tahu and left them vulnerable to the Ngati Toa.

Other tribes went offshore to use their muskets. Ngati Mutunga attacks on the Chathams and the enslavement and destruction of their culture is hard to fathom or explain, especially from today’s perspective. Perhaps warriors who fought so readily simply despised a people who would not resist them. Utu would not explain this event.

Assessing the Missionary Influence

The Missionaries helped to open up New Zealand. Their presence tended to make it easier for other Europeans to interact with Maori. In general we are of course referring to the CMS under Samuel Marsden's direction. It is his drive and determination that see the first Msiion opened at Rangihoua and further stations opened at Kerikeri and Paihia. His first choice of Kendall as leader is an initial weakness, although he could not have forseen the death of Ruatara and the subsequent patronage of Hongi Hika. Sending Henry Williams to replace Kendall is inspired and perhaps a reflection that Marsden recognised his earlier mistake.

The Missionaries learn and translate Maori into a written language. They introduce literacy to a large number of the Maori. Literacy allows the teaching of religion. Hika's belief that Christianity was 'a religion worthy only of slaves', meant that many slaves were educated and when the opportunity was offered converted. It was this that allowed many freed slaves to return to their Iwi as missionaries in their own right. Many returned to area's that European Missionaries would not arrive in until years later. Not only do the CMS introduce education and religion they helped to expand agriculture. The first plough was used by the CMS.

CMS activities under Kendall are insipid and achieve little except to confirm the weakness of their religion to Hika. Under Williams it is revitalised and becomes more dynamic. Building the 'Herald' increases their reach and takes them out from beneath Hikas control, although it seems that Hikas power and influence was on the wane by the latter part of the 1820's.

(New 2008) The sudden increase in conversions from 1829 can be seen as a reaction to war weariness, 20,000 dead and perhaps another 30,000 displaced/replaced was a massive blow to Maori self belief as was the persistent losses to disease. Maori synthesis of their old Atua and newer Christian versions also eased the move to Christianity. Hika's death in 1828 certainly removed a major obstacle and made the transition easier.

The CMS will try to take credit for the end of the Musket wars although most Historians will discount this claim. It is of course the trip that Kendall takes with Waikato and Hika that will jump start the Musket wars in 1821. Their ability to stop warring Maori from fighting is rarely tested, despite several images that suggest otherwise.

When Maori do take up Christianity it is not always as intended. While the CMS are Christian it is often the Old Testament that attracts them. Christianity was all about Christ the God of forgiveness etc., while the Old Testament God was Jehovah the God of retribution and revenge. When synthesised with their old Atua this God made more sense. We will look at this in more detail when we cover the various Prophets that emerged.

The Missionaries reports of the activities at Kororareka will lead to the expansion of the British Government into New Zealand with the arrival of Busby. We will also discover the influence they will have over the Treaty negotiations at Waitangi.

The Missionary Creed

Wherever Europeans settled, whether by conquest or otherwise. they took their culture with them. A mainstay of their culture or identity was religion. The Spaniards, Portuguese and French took Catholicism. The British took Protestantism. By the early 19th century the British were ascendant and were certain that God was on their side. In fact everything pointed to them being the most advanced civilisation that had ever developed.

They wanted to bring the wonders of the civilisation to the backward and needy natives. This would also wanted to expand the Empire, making Britain even greater… richer, more powerful… (No wonder everyone else seemed to dislike them, They probably thought Hubris was an English word).

The Missionaries who followed the explorers wanted to save the souls of the heathen. It was in their destiny to expand the empire, it was also their destiny to spread the word of God.

Samuel Marsden led the (Anglican) Church Missionary Society (CMS) in Sydney. He had a tough reputation and was known as the ‘Flogging Parson”. He lived in Parramatta and had become wealthy on the landholdings he had acquired. He developed a strong bond with many of the Maori who visited Port Jackson, especially Ruatara who spent some time recuperating in his care.

Ruatara was an important chief amongst the Nga Puhi of the Bay of Islands. He hoped to encourage Marsden into bringing Missionaries to his people. However it was not just the word of God that the hoped for.

Marsden seemed to greatly admire the Maori as a people suited to accepting Christianity.

Preliminary ideas of setting up a mission were put on hold by the burning of the Boyd in Whangaroa harbour. By 1814 Marsden felt more comfortable with the proposal.

It was his hoped that the Missionaries could civilise the Maori. They would first show them the advantages that a civilised culture could offer them. Once this was accepted then they would readily accept the religion that was central to that culture. This explained the inclusion of King and Hall, a rope maker and carpenter. They were accompanied by their families, a sign that they wanted to establish a permanent presence. It was hoped that the families would also keep the missionaries away from the excesses and temptations of Kororareka. I guess 2 out of 3 isn’t to bad.

Civilise then convert.

It seemed simple. The first Mission station was set up on the northern side of the Bay of Islands in an area under the control of Ruatara and his hapu. The site was Rangihoua.
Ruatara died soon afterwards. His place as protector was taken by Hongi Hika. Soon the Mission moved to Kerikeri and Paihia, close enough to see Kororareka, not so close it could be contaminated by the Whalers antics.

Hika wanted the Missionaries for what they could give him. He never converted to Christianity. Although Marsden came to New Zealand he never stayed. Leadership of the Mission fell to Thomas Kendall who never really fired as a leader. He lacked the ability to inspire and was unable to shake the shadow cast by Hika. Belich describes Kendall as Hika’s vassal.

Maori were disappointed by the Missionaries. They wanted traders who could provide a steady stream of material especially muskets. When Kendall followed Marsden’s direction not to trade in Muskets their mana really diminished.

From a letter to Kendall from Marsden, 1819

"I found that you had fallen into that accursed traffic with muskets and powder again, notwithstanding all the resolutions that had been passed against it when I was with you in August last. When I considered that the missionaries were furnishing the instruments of death to these poor savages by supplying them with muskets and powder, I could not but feel the greatest indignation at such a thought. The argument generally urged has been that neither timber nor pork could be bought from the natives without muskets and powder. This I do not credit."

It was not uncommon for their settlements to be ransacked by passing by Maori from other Nga Puhi hapu. Physical threats were made but rarely carried out, the Missionaries were never equals in their eyes.

Frighteningly Addictive....

After creating the maps below I thought I'd give the Sealers a go. Whooah, I though it would be less intimidating but I was horribly wrong... it just becomes so easy to add more ideas and detail. Sorry but here are the sealers...

Once again click on the image to see a bigger version.

Really the only constraint is desk space.

If you want you can download a free copy of the CmapTools here or you can get a copy off me in class.

CMapping tools

During the week we were shown this tool which allows the user to create concept-maps and save/export ideas. So here is one I put together quickly on early contact. It could be useful in your essay planning. By the way I want to see the scaffolded essay next week....

Click on the image to see a larger version.

















However after a little tinkering it became this... again click on the image to see larger version.

Pakeha-Maori

There is a wonderful term for people who pass through a place as a temporary resident. It is Sojourner. I wish I'd known this when I lived in London, it sounds so much better than...actually I don't know what we called ourselves, we were just Kiwis on our OE. Sojourner sounds so much cooler.

This is an interesting group mainly because so little evidence was left behind by them. Known as Pakeha-Maori or Intermediaries or Go-Betweens they bridged the gap between Maori and visiting Europeans. Few were literate and so most of the records about them are written by others. Most of these records are written by Missionaries and often reflect the bias these writers held about such men (and women). Their writing is filled with references to uncouth behaviour, undesirables filled with vice and their thoroughly bad influence on Maori. There were no compliments, only complaints.

Recognising that their writing contains bias is an important historical skill. Being able to describe and explain the biased references is useful for the end of year exam. Knowing why they held these views is also important.

Missionaries wanted to be the sole filters of European (British) culture and civilisation. Having someone else interpret the culture for Maori in ways that might inhibit their own activities was not something they liked. Few of the 'Intermediaries' were religious or church goers, in fact most would have had a pretty poor view of Missionaries and religion. Many of the Pakeha Maori were former convicts and possibly a number would have been Irish and Catholic. Their view of the Anglican Church would have been even lower and the (CMS) Missionary would have represented everything their disliked about the establishment. Many would have had experience of the CMS from Sydney and few would have viewed Marsden with any great favour. They apparently often counselled Maori against the Missionaries.

Possibly another reason was simply their horror at the thought of White Men 'going native' and abandoning the (superior?) european civilisation for the degenerate and permissive life amongst the natives.

The Pakeha Maori themselves were a disparate group. the first of them fled their ship in 1799 and there were many different types of Pakeha Maori who followed in the next 70-80 years. The last Pakeha Maori of the traditional type was possibly Kimble Bent who fought with Titokowaru. Many were escaped convicts, some were unhappy seamen, others were traders or adventurers. Your hand out notes (see pages 22-27) describe the many types of Pakeha Maori, and need little explanation here.

What is important is to recognise that Maori only accepted Pakeha into their society on their own terms and the Pakeha had to be worth something to them, whether as a 'pet' or as a respected tohunga. If the Pakeha wasn't worth anything then they would be rejected or eaten. Several seamen who fled their ships were hunted down and returned because local Maori could not risk the loss of trading opportunities.

On the other hand a Pakeha suitably absorbed into the Hapu could be especially useful in translating with other Pakeha. Dicky Barretts help in the sale of Wellington being a poor example, as he spoke a pidgin Maori that failed to adequately explain their loss of land. There were also Pakeha Maori who lived on the periphery of their local Iwi like Tapsel or Guard.

It seems in many respects that the Intermediaries impact has been downplayed. The Missionaries can be blamed for that. F EManing is one of the few Pakeha Maori who did leave a written record. But his later antipathy toward Maori may colour his vews.

Read TREVOR BENTLEYS "PAKEHA MAORI" available in the school library.

Shore or Bay Whalers

As we move into the 1820’s the great whales began to run out. Increasingly it became difficult to justify the economics of running a large ship and crew for long periods at sea.

Entrepreneurs in Sydney identified a cheaper method. It was easier and cheaper to keep a small crew often supplemented by local natives at a shore base close to the whale’s migratory paths (Just like Bay Whalers but cheaper).

The stations were established in the Bay of Plenty, along the east coast of both the North and South Islands. Some were temporary some were not. They were often there for long periods. The last of the Cook Strait Stations did not close until 1964.

Whaling Stations like Thoms, Barrets, the Guards, the Wellers or Jillets were set up in places like Kapiti or Porirua waiting for the ‘Right’ Whales to pass by. Whales were sighted, chased, harpooned, flensed and boiled down to oil. Every so often a ship would be dispatched to collect the oil from the stations.

Life on these stations was rough and ready. (Yes I know I used the same term for the sealers, and I’ll probably use it again.). Many more cultured observers ( Edward Wakefield included) mentioned how dreadful their conditions were as was the culture of drinking and cursing.

One thing that made them different was the way that they assimilated into local Maori society. Their presence was important to Maori, it gave them the same access to European goods that was enjoyed by Nga Puhi, thus having a Pakeha set up close to you was essential. Having a Pakeha made you “safe” and would encourage others to call by, increasing trade opportunities.

Many Europeans took (usually, but not always temporary) Maori wives and left behind numbers of half-caste children who were absorbed back into their Whanau. Maori did not view the children as anything other than Maori and they assimilated more easily into Maori society while they would have been vilified if returned to Pakeha society.

The Stations acted as a new conduit for Europe into New Zealand. They allowed more Maori from more extensive areas of the country. More Maori met Europeans, their goods and their culture. It opened more of New Zealand to exploration and exploitation.

Some of these Whalers became so entwined in their Tribes that they helped defend them against attacking Taua (War Parties) or even migrated with them when attacks drove them from their traditional lands. Some became so embedded that their names are now a well known and valued part of the Iwi.

Whalers like Johnny Jones established small empires in the areas they lived in.

The impact of the Shore Whalers should not be underestimated.

The Whalers and the Nga Puhi

In the past students have often seen the whalers as an amorphous group. It is however important that you differentiate between the Ocean Whalers who frequented (mainly) the Bay of Islands and the Shore or Bay Whalers who were scattered about the coastline. Ocean Whalers originated mainly from the USA. Most came from New England. There were crews from Britain and France but the US dominated the trade.

When they needed some RnR they made for Kororareka. It offered everything they needed without the constraints of the law. Whaling crews numbered between 20-50 and there could be as many as 15 ships in the Bay at one time. New Zealand lay outside any of the European/American nations sphere of influence and thus beyond the reach of their legal systems. While this might have given the captains and crews a free licence to do as they liked, their behaviour was tempered by the fierce nature of the local Maori.

Nga Puhi controlled the Bay of Islands although different hapu groups dominated the north and south sides of the bay. Kororareka became hugely popular with Whalers, with hundreds of visits made in the next few decades. Paul Moon has written an excellent book about the decades before 1840. Grog shops opened along the shoreline and were interspersed with Brothels. Nga Puhi supplied the Brothels with women.

Some students find this concept distasteful, but we should be careful about applying 21st century morals on people from the past who operated in a completely different time with differing values. Maori simply viewed sex in a different way, and there was little stigma attached to the trade (although I don’t believe the daughters of chiefs would have been offered to a European unless there was a distinct material advantage to the Iwi.)

Whaling crews were ashore for only a few weeks while the ships were cleaned, refitted and supplies acquired. Many of the crew took an advance on their share of the profits, spending the money on rum and women. Some of the crew could often spend the better part of their wages during this shore leave and arrive back in Nantucket no better off than when they had left 3 years before. Experienced and enterprising crew sometimes acquired cheap muskets (some left over from the War of Independence and were quite dangerous) before they left and then traded these for the favours of a Maori maiden

With no law in the town there was no limit on the behaviour of Europeans. Fighting and Drunkenness (and Drunken Fighting) were common. Behaviour was terrible and more cultured observers gave the town the name ‘Hellhole of the Pacific’. For many the town represented all that was bad about European culture and was to be abhorred.

Nga Puhi prospered under this regime. No other Iwi had as much access to Europeans and the goods they offered. This gave them enormous Mana within the wider area as well as their related Iwi north and south of the Bay.

Like other tribes many Nga Puhi took the opportunity to use the Whalers to travel overseas. Maori travelled widely around the Pacific, many landed in Sydney. While there they were often taken in by Samuel Marsden, at his property in Paramatta. Several like Te Pahi and Ruatara spent long periods there, in Ruataras case convalescing after being ill treated on his Whaler.
This gave them a greater insight into the world that existed outside of New Zealand. very quickly the Nga Puhi began to realize the advantage of possessing Muskets.

...and you thought I have too much time on my hands!

Continuing on with the videos we watched in class, I found these. First, the Moby Dick story told in the ever dependable Lego format.

http://www.youtube.com/v/elZ5FWCAMc8

Enjoy!!!

OK thats just a bit silly.

Here is another scene from the original "Moby Dick" movie, the white whale is sighted and the whale boats are lowered and the chase is afoot!



More interestingly below is an excerpt taken from the 1998 TV mini series.

Setting the scene: Ishmael has arrived in town (Nantucket?) intending to enlist on a whaler. He takes a room for the night in an Inn but must share the room with a harpooner (Queequeg) who arrives well after Ishamel has gone to bed. He has with him several articles of interest... This time Queequeg is given a more definite cultural background. See if you can figure it out?



Hopefully this is more evidence that you need Broadband at home (Anna)!!!