Challenging the King 1858

The end of the Wellington Wars did not settle anything in particular apart from enforcing the NZ Companys claims to land around some of its settlements. Grey stayed until called to South Africa. At that point he allowed a new Constitution to be introduced. This established the Provincial System. At last the settlers had a voice in Government but to their annoyance the Governor retained control over Native affairs, denying them access to Maori land.

Land (via pre-emption) remained under the control of the Governor.Despite this Maori land continued to be alienated. Donald McLean acting on behalf of the Governor was able to buy large areas of land, but not in areas which were most desired by settlers (especially in the Taranaki) remained out of their reach.In a reaction to the continued loss of land and the consequent loss of rangatiratanga and mana over their land some Maori began to seek an alternative. The Queen represented the Pakeha, Maori should have their own King.
Eventually Te Wherwhero accepted the mantle becoming King Potatau.The Kingitanga represented a challenge to settler aspirations and the Governments purse. For settlers it also represented a defiance of British control of New Zealand. They could not countenance a separatist King in a British New Zealand.The King and his supporters saw it in a different light. Besides now representing Maori (the red, black and white threads) he was keen to work with the Government.

Because of the perceived threat the Governors however lost faith in him.Governor Gore Brown it seems was determined to force the issue of who controlled the country. When Teira offered him land at Waitara it seemed a golden opportunity to show the power of Britain. Unfortnately Teira had only a minor claim to the area. Wiremu Kingi (te Atiawa) had a stronger claim and so did the Waikato who had driven the Te Atiawa off the land during the Musket Wars.

When the war broke out the British and settlers found themselves surrounded and penned into New Plymouth. The ring of modern Pa which encircled the town became a challenge which first Colonel Gold then General Pratt unsuccessfully attacked with cannon then sap.Neither seemed to appreciate the tactic that kept them occupied with relatively unimportant military targets. The war meandered along with the Maori out-digging the Imperial Troops.

The involvement of Kingitanga warriors appeared to confirm the Pakeha belief that the King intended to enforce a Land League and to stand in the way of British law by stopping the sale by Teira of the Waitara. The challenge to the rule of law seems to have been a Government preoccupation, as many settlers recognised the weakness of Teiras claim to the land.The end of the war was claimed as victory by the returning Grey although his failure to punish the ‘rebels’ seems to indicate the weak case that they had and their inability to defeat an enemy who would not stay still. As it happens Grey believed he needed to strike at the heart of Maori resistance – the King in the Waikato.

Worth a look here. (Papers Past)

Wellington and Wanganui 1846-7

Study of this region like many others is complex because of the issues of conquest and ahi kaa. By the late 1840's Ngatitoa had become the the pre-eminent Iwi in the region. (See the comment string below) Under the leadership of Te Rauparaha in the 1820's they had travelled south from Kawhia taking Ngati Mutunga and Te Atiawa under their protectorship. After conquering the region and in utu for their support along the way, they gifted both tribes (the right to occupy) land in Wellington and the Hutt valley.

Maori land ownership is difficult to quantify but conquest and occupancy gave Ngatitoa rights over the land. Ngati Mutunga transferred that land to other hapu when they left the Hutt for the Chathams. Ngatitoa retained its Rangatiratanga. When this land was 'sold' to settlers Te Rangiaheata expected recompense as required by tikanga, but initially received nothing. When problems developed between Settlers and Maori in the area he travelled north to support their (and his own) claims.

He supported the fighting in the Hutt, even when he did recieve some comprensation, but found he was battling not only Grey but also some of his own Iwi who resented his presence and his interference. Greys fait accompli against Te Rauparaha diminished Ngatitoa mana and ability to fight. Grey then forced almost all Maori out of the Wellington area despite an agreement to allow retention of gardens and sacred grounds. With little support and facing Redcoats not Settlers, Rangihaeta was forced out of area and into Porirua. Building a fighting Pa away from the coast to negate the British gunboats only slowed the ineveitable and Rangihaeta was forced to abandon his claims in the region. Grey appeared to be beating the Maori and was feted by Settlers.

Te Mamaku had supported Rangihaeta and withdrew back to his Iwi near Petre (Wanganui) when Wellington was lost. He raised some problems for settlers resulting in the killing of a settler family. Local Maori were angry at his interference and the possibility that they might loose 'their' Pakeha. They chased down the murderers and handed them over to the Settler administration. Te Mamaku fought the Army at St Johns Wood near Wanganui in an indecisive battle but abandoned his campaign bcaause of a lack of support. Like Rangihaeta he also retired into the hinterland. Grey chose to retain his new found reputation by not chasing either into the interior.

1845-6: War in the North

Heke had been a supporter of the Treaty. Much has been made of the fact that he was the first chief to sign the agreement. I’ve always assumed the figure in the most well known images (see Treaty or Bust below) depict Heke in the act of signing.

Heke it seemed viewed the treaty as an agreement between him and the crown over control over “their” Pakeha. He was disappointed and felt his mana was diminished by decisions made by Hobson. The imposition of custom duties including a 30% tax on muskets reduced their trade. Speculators followed Hobson to Auckland, moving the capital also reduced his mana took away future trading opportunities.

By 1844 he felt aggrieved enough to attack the symbols that on a daily basis reminded him of his loss. Attacking these symbols would show the Administration his anger and show his Iwi that he still needed to be respected
Hekes War was not universally supported within Nga Puhi. We have already talked about how the Iwi were split into competing Hapu The Hokianga hapu had always harboured a lingering jealousy over the riches their bay of Islands relatives monopolised. In 1844 these hapu were prepared to go to war to support Britain.

Belich makes the point that the Maori combatants on both sides in this war were fighting to retain their Pakeha not to drive them away.The Northern War is characterised by what we might consider to be the low level nature of much of the fighting. Kororarekas sacking seems to have been an accident or over enthusiasm. Later fighting especially between Maori saw prisoners exchanged at the end of each days fighting. When the British were involved it seems to have been more serious. Puketutu seems to have seen Kawiti and Heke testing the Britisn tactics and weapons. Ohaewai saw the unleashing of tactics designed to maximise Maori weapons by weakening British firepower.

The only battle that was lost by Heke was one which did not even include the British. When Imperial troops were involved they characteristically failed to make any impression. Kawitis description of Despard as a ‘very stupid person’ seems particularly apt. Reliance on the 19th century version of ‘shock and awe’ frontal assaults into prepared positions meant death to troops who were poorly led.
Battles atPuketutu andOhaewai were effective draws, although a British regiment could never admit as much. They claimed to have inflicted high casualty rates, which the Maori masked by taking their dead and wounded with them. They claimed victories because they occupied Pa sites. Belich notes that these sites were military and economic nullities – empty vessels that had drawn the British into killing fields.
Grey arrived in time for Ruapekapeka, a mixed bag of victories and losses for both sides. Kawiti was unable to spring the trap he had hoped for. Grey had not won a battle nor had he had killed, wounded or captured the ‘rebels’.

The war now drifted to a close. Britain claimed overall victory but surprisingly inflicted now penalties upon the losers. Despite Heke’s best efforts economic wealth would now drift southward and so would the conflict.The one new innovation of the war was Kawitis development of the Modern pa. No longer the ‘gunfighter’ pa of the Musket Wars, but a new easily constructed (and abandoned) masterpiece of wood and earth that could withstand almost anything the British army could throw at it. These ‘curiously hollowed out’ trench and bunker systems would confound and confuse the British for another 20 years