Colonization of the Islands of New Zealand

The Māori is a group of people indigenous to New Zealand with origins dating back to the 14th century. Thought to have come from Polynesia, the Māori have cultivated the land and grown their culture in New Zealand for over 400 years. The Māori are known for their intricate tattoo style, and ritual hakas used to mark various occasions. Europeans came into contact with this collective in the 17th century, rocking both the Māori and their sense of culture. The early stages of contact were steady at first, but through the Treaty of Waitangi, some miscommunications led to friction in the nation’s relationship. Instead of attempting to embrace the Māori and co-exist, the Europeans chose to impose their values and rule. For years after initial contact, the Māori struggled to maintain their authenticity as a distinct collection of people. It seemed as though the Europeans began to make the Māori feel out of place in their newfound home. Through contact with Europeans, the Māori lost a deep sense of their unique culture, navigate their way through a contradicting treaty, and face the realities of a post-contact New Zealand.

Years of traveling through Polynesia led the collective to finally settle in New Zealand, quickly inhabiting both the North and South Islands. This period of settlement is now known as the “Archaic” or “Moahunter” period. During this time, the Māori were known for their ‘reel necklaces’ and their lack of weapons. Additionally, the Māori heavily relied on food sources such as the Moa and fur seals hunted along the coasts. This period of overuse then led to the transition to the era known as the “Classic” period. The Māori had to live through much colder temperatures and the extinction of once-reliable food sources, the Moa. Also, at this time, the Māori began to carve their wooden canoes and develop weapons using pounamu, greenstone that is now commonly associated with the Māori. The Māori were finally establishing themselves as a unique collective after years at sea while searching for a new home. They used what was native to the land and continued to adapt to the changing environment. It was also at this time that the Māori became vicious warriors. Their war-like nature is beautifully shown through their ritual hakas. It was also at this time that the Māori began to develop further Tā Moko, the tattoo style used to mark status and rank within Māori society. The Māori continued to build their culture and foster a deep connection with the land, which was unfortunately cut short by the sudden arrival of outsiders, whom we now know as the Europeans.

Abel Tasman was the first European to make contact with the Māori in 1642. Tasman’s arrival was rather startling for the Māori as they viewed these newcomers as intruders on their land, which led a Māori tribe to kill four of Tasman’s crew. The bay in which this interaction occurred was named Murderer’s Bay by Abel Tasman. Even though there was a turbulent introduction to the Māori, Tasman was awestruck by the beauty of New Zealand, prompting for more European exploration of the islands. Decades went by before more contact with Europeans. During this time, however, the Māori began to question European influences, only adding to the confusion brought by these visitors. Tasman’s encounter with the Māori was not the last European contact this collective would experience. James Cook and his crew spotted land on October 6th, 1769, later landing at Poverty Bay. Cook’s first interaction with the Māori ended similarly to that of Tasman. With the Māori attempting to meet these ‘intruders’ in a more ‘traditional way’, it, unfortunately, led to the death of several Māori, including two leaders. Despite the loss of some Māori, Cook and his men went on to develop a good relationship with this one another, at first. The Europeans had a certain level of respect for the Māori, who were quick to adopt the advancement brought by the explorers. This period of co-existence soon came to an end. By the mid-19th century, the idea of racial superiority within European society soured these ties. The Māori were resistant to the changes put upon them by the Europeans. The Europeans wanted to rule the Māori, rather than co-exist as they had done years prior. This tension between collectives resulted in a conflict, which soon began to portray the Māori as an incredibly violent culture. With this, the Europeans found it hard to adopt Māori customs, which many believe the violence from the Māori was a direct response to these misdemeanors. The British felt that they were superior in every way that the Māori were not. To “help” the Māori, the British soon enforced their rule within New Zealand, much like how they had done throughout the world.

In 1840, the Treaty of Waitangi was signed between representatives of the British Crown and over 500 Māori chiefs. After the signing of the treaty, things drastically changed within Māori society. The settlement held different meanings based on what language it had been translated to; English or Māori. In Māori, the treaty still gave sovereignty to the Māori people; however, in the English version, the Māori were signing over rights of the land to the Crown, something that had not been discussed prior to signing. This binding document enforced immediate changes within Māori society. Relations between the Māori and the Europeans did remain peaceful, however. Towards the end of the 19th century, there was a vast number of settlers arriving in New Zealand. Because of this, some even thought that the colonists would wipe the Māori out as an entire race. At one point, European settlers outweighed the Māori population at 700,000 to 42,000. The signing of this treaty enforced British rule within New Zealand that still has effects on the Māori people today. The Māori continued to lose land to these new settlers as well as fishing rights that took them years to regain. By the mid-1960s, land settlements between the government and the Māori worsened. In 1975, led by the elder Whina Cooper, Māori people marched from the north to parliament in Wellington to protest for land rights to be returned to their people. In response to the increase of protest, The New Zealand government formed the Waitangi Tribunal, a commission of inquiry used to examine how the Crown might have misused the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi. It was also used to advise the government in claim hearings. Unfortunately, the tribunal had little to no political or social influence. In 1985, the terms of the tribunal were extended to cover more research, hearings, and report writing under the Treaty itself. The historical record of the treaty was put under extensive review for the first time since its fabrication. Through the establishment of the tribunal, it was the first time in New Zealand’s history that the Māori finally saw fair and just conversations over their rights.

The stark introduction of the Europeans in New Zealand left the Māori uncertain of their future within their own country. After years of living by the rules of the British colonizers, Māori people have had to overcome multiple cultural barriers that prevented them from seeing the rights they were entitled to. Even at one point, the Māori people faced cultural extinction as the number of new settlers continued to outweigh those of Māori descent. These effects continue to affect current Māori generations as they continue their journey in restoring their culture. Luckily, there has been a revival with this new generation. There continues to be a growing acceptance within the New Zealand society of the Māori. To date, the government has provided over NZ$900 million in land settlements and assistance to the collective. Additionally, more Māori descendants are taking more influential roles in government, creating more space for conversation and acceptance in government. Although the Māori faced decades of influence from the British Crown and a loss of culture, they have since managed to move on from this dark episode of their vast history.