Colonisation was the best thing that ever happened to Maori. No more tribal wars and no more cannibalism. The British and European settlers (of which all Maori today are related by marriage) and Protestant missionaries stopped Maori being taken advantage of by unscrupulous whalers and the big traders such the New Zealand Company and Wakefield’s company, selling land that didn’t belong to them to unsuspecting settlers. This crooked company was stopped and eventually bankrupted around 1850 with pressure from the British Colonial Office, successive governors of New Zealand, the Church Missionary Society and prominent missionary the Rev. Henry Williams et al.
The NZ company and Wakefield’s company eventually merged and strongly opposed the Treaty of Waitangi, which was an obstacle to the company obtaining the greatest possible amount of New Zealand land at the cheapest price. Apart from those dodgy crooks Colonisation was excellent for Maori as colonisation brought an entrepreneurial spirit that switched-on Maori took hold of and developed the skills the British and Europeans taught them.
Les Hole writes > I now always answer any question of maori rights under the 1840 Treaty the same way:
1. The Treaty offered all NZ tribes the opportunity to become subjects of the Crown, with ALL the rights and responsibilities of citizens…
2. In return, 500 plus tribes ceded any sovereignty claims and agreed to citizenship
3. The immediate benefit was the end of all tribal hostilities accruing to the 1800 – 1835 musket wars that saw up to 60,000 tribesmen and women slaughtered… And the freeing of up to 20,000 tribal slaves…
4. The result of the imposition of British law has been 180 years of civilisation, peace and growth in NZ, with the Equality of ALL citizens…
Of course, some have prospered more than others but generally NZ society accepts “with consistent hard work and effort,” any citizen can achieve success in their chosen field…
A look back in history at this petition by Maori chiefs shows a different take on what constituted taonga. Notice there is zero mention in 1831 of Maori owning things that they claim to own today such as all the land, water, fish, wind, or radio waves. Instead, what we read is the word taonga being used in the context for personal possessions and private property.
The first Maori dictionary produced by Cambridge University’s Professor Lee in 1820 states the following meaning for ‘taonga’,
“Property procured by the spear”
It’s hard to imagine radio waves, rivers, lakes, and fish being procured by the spear. But how representative is Lee’s meaning of taonga? His definition and dictionary meanings were assisted by Ngapuhi chief Hongi Hika. Yes you read that correctly. To Hongi, taonga was his own possessions and didn’t include the things that Maori claim to own today like rivers and radio waves. It seems these were later procured by the pen assisted by a misrepresentation of history.
T.L. Buick’s account of the petition from 13 Ngapuhi chiefs
TO KING WILLIAM, THE GRACIOUS CHIEF OF ENGLAND
KING WILLIAM — We, the chiefs of New Zealand assembled at this place, called the Kerikeri, write to thee, for we hear that thou art the great chief of the other side of the water, since the many ships which come to our land are from thee.
We are a people without possessions.
We have nothing but timber, flax, pork and potatoes, we sell these things, however, to your people, and then we see property of the Europeans.
It is only thy land which is liberal towards us.
From thee also come the Missionaries who teach us to believe on Jehovah God, and on Jesus Christ His Son.
We have heard that the tribe of Marian [the French] is at hand coming to take away our land, therefore we pray thee to become our friend and the guardian of these Islands, lest through the teazing of other tribes should come war to us, and lest strangers should come and take away our land.
And if any of thy people should be troublesome or vicious towards us (for some persons are living here who have run away from ships), we pray thee to be angry with them that they may be obedient, lest the anger of the people of this land fall upon them.
This letter is from us the chiefs of the natives of New Zealand:
Warerahi chief of Paroa Rewa chief of Waimate Patuone chief of Hokianga Nene chief of Hokianga Kekeao chief of Ahuahu Titore chief of Kororarika Tamoranaga chief of Taiamai Ripe chief of Mapere Hara chief of Ohaiawai Atuahaere chief of Kaikohe Moetara chief of Pakanai Matangi chief of Waima Taunai chief of Hutakura
