We’ve had a few things to say about the content of this heavily Jacinda-government-subsidised website (not connected with Newshub or at least not directly) in the past, and this is another article that requires a response by our writers.
by John Robinson
The chutzpa of these people in amazing. The article completely misrepresents Buck, whose work is very important. I have noted his main conclusions on pages 9-11 of my book Unrestrained slaughter (2020). There were three waves of immigrants; the Maori of today who came in the several canoes to form the major tribes were the third. Their arrival was a time of killing.
“Buck referred to the first group as the ‘tangata whenua’.”
“Each new influx of settlers found numerous people living here; many were killed so that the newcomers could possess the land, often in wars of extermination, resulting in the practical extinction of the men, while the women and children were absorbed by the conquerors. Many accounts suggest that the people of the second and third migrations were advanced, warlike, agricultural tribes who destroyed or drove out the previous settlers. The third settlement period is the best known, the coming of small fleets led by seven famous canoes, Tainui, Te Arawa, Matatua, Kurahaupo, Tokomaru, Aotea and Takitimu.”
That article is propaganga and lies.
by Roger Childs
Peter Buck is an important NZ historian and Buddy Mikaere misrepresents him. I wonder if he has ever read Buck’s other book The Coming of the Maori? His article is aimed at scoring political points which he can’t justify.
As John points out, different groups of migrants to New Zealand did meet people already living here. There is a large amount of evidence for pre-Polynesian settlement. Here is one example from Andreas Reischek’s recollections. He lived in NZ from 1877-1889 and travelled throughout the country. He became fluent in Te Reo and was a friend of the current “Maori king” Tawhaio who allowed him to travel freely in the “King Country”.
The chiefs told me the Maori are a mixed race; tradition has it that their forefathers originally came to NZ from Hawaiki in 13 double canoes. They landed at different spots in the North Island and found them inhabited by dark-coloured men with curly black hair and small of stature. These original inhabitants – they called them Ngatimaimai – were found to be good husbandmen and hunters, but poor warriors. So the Maori conquered them, killed the men and took possession of the women. This union would account for the three differentiated types I noticed.
Ian Wishart’s The Great Divide provides copious evidence of pre- Polynesian settlement in a 26 page chapter called “The First New Zealanders”.
It is good to see Vikings of the Sunrise reprinted. Hopefully, Te Rangi Hiroa’s other seminal work The Coming of the Maori – a big book on the history, culture and traditions of the Polynesian settlers — will also come out in another edition.