Episode 1 The Redheads assembles evidence that Aryans from India migrated to the islands of the Pacific, including New Zealand.
The idea is not new. Edward Tregear's 1885 book The Aryan Maori had the same suggestion at a time when ideas about Aryan (or Caucasian) migrations became popular and were applied to New Zealand.
Mainstream historians like Richard Hill, Vincent O'Malley, and the late Michael King, dismiss the theories as lacking evidence, not bearing scrutiny, wild speculation, racist, or seeking to discredit Waitangi Tribunal claims.
Substantial evidence collected in 1988 that showed human occupation of New Zealand pre-dated Maori occupation by thousands of years was hidden in National Archives for 75 years. This includes carbon dating collected by 37 government-funded archaeologists in a one-year survey of stone structures in the Waipoua Forest near Dargaville.
Plumm interviewed one of those archaeologists, Noel Hilliam, who said that the initial dating showed the structures went back to 2225BC, which is about 3150 years before Maori history began in New Zealand.
Why the cover-up? Hilliam said: “The Maori guy in charge of the Waipoua survey closed the operation down the day after the initial dating came through”.
The survey was deposited at National Archives in Wellington with a note requiring approval of the Te Roroa-Waipoua Achaeological Advisory Committee or other appropriate Te Roroa authority for release of any of the data.
There was a significant noticeable change in Maori culture after they arrived in New Zealand 800 years ago, Plumm said.
“They built planked houses with decorative facades, used single-hulled canoes instead of outriggers, fashioned terraced village sites with amphitheatres, and created complex art forms not seen in the Pacific. What made them change?” Plumm said.
New Zealand was inhabited when the first Polynesian canoes arrived, according to Maori oral tradition, which includes accounts of blond-haired, green-eyed flute-playing small people, the Patupaiarehe, as well as red-haired giants.
Plumm showed photos of skeletons in coffins less than 1.5-metres long.
Hilliam obtained DNA analysis of material found in the caves where the skeletons in coffins were located. The forensic pathologist in the United Kingdom who did the analysis confirmed they had the DNA identical to that of ancient Celtic people from Wales, and were 3500 years old.
Where did the light-skinned, blond-haired, green-eyed people go? They are still among us. Monica Matumua, who grew up at Rena on the Wanganui River 27km from Taumarunui, has a family tradition that their ancestors 165 generations ago migrated from India to escape a war.
If a generation is 20 years, 165 generations goes back 3300 years, to 1285BC, which coincides with the end of the Indus Valley civilisation in northwest India.
Matumua says her ancestors sailed across the Atlantic to Central America, relocated to South America, sailed to Polynesia, and sailed further to New Zealand 74 generations ago around 535 CE, landing in the Bay of Islands near Russell.
The name Ngati Hotu was given to her ancestors with the arrival in New Zealand of Kupe, the supposed first Polynesian to arrive in New Zealand from 925 to 1215 CE.
Matumua was stunned to see that Waitangi Tribunal member and historian Angela Ballara declare that all Ngati Hotu had been wiped out. Matumua told her story to the tribunal as part of a claim on behalf of Ngati Hotu.
In 2013 she submitted a sample of saliva to the National Geographic Genographic Survey, which aims to map historical human migration patterns by collecting and analyzing DNA samples from around the world
Results published in Elocal in February of 2014 showed the first reference population matching Matumua’s DNA was based on samples collected from the Kinh ethnic group living in Vietnam. Her second reference population is in Puerto Rico.
Her haplogroup, which includes those people with similar DNA results and where some of her more recent ancestors settled, showed that parts of South America and New Zealand were very closely related to her DNA code, with Hawaii particularly close.
Marsh and Plumm also talked to moko artist Jason Phillips, Ancient Celtic New Zealand author Martin Doutre, Barry Brailsford, who studied the oral history of the Waitaha, and Secret Land series writer Gary Cook.
They referred to an incident in Awanui in the Far North by an excavator driver who found 2000 skeletons hunched in a fetal postion, bound, and buried.
The driver asked the Auckland Museum for advice and was told the museum could do nothing because the local tribe had no interest in these remains because they were not their people. The remains were not investigated.
The 60-minute documentary that was released in November of 2015, the first part of a series, is quality cinematography and sound fronted by the British-born writer of short stories and a children’s book and filmed by a Fiji-born Australian.
Being outsiders and independent of state funding, Marsh and Plumm do not have to pick a side in New Zealand’s culture war.
Skeletons in the Cupboard shows that our past is much more interesting than you ever imagined.
Sources
Skeletons in the Cupboard. Episode 1 The Redheads. https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=2z6PlYiQSTs
Final Frontier to a forgotten people, Elocal, http://www.elocal.co.nz/View_Article~Id~289~title~ELocaL%20COMMUNITY%20MAGAZINE%20-%20View%20Articles.html
Lawyers flock for treaty wrangle, NZ Herald November 17, 2006. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10411291
DNA to Rock the nation Part 1, Elocal, January 2014. http://www.elocal.co.nz/View_Article~Id~1076~title~DNA_to_Rock_the_nation_Part_1.html
DNA to Rock the nation Part 2, Elocal, February 2014. http://www.elocal.co.nz/View_Article~Id~1108~title~Changing_Our_NZ_History._DNA_to_Rock_the_Nation_Part_2.html
14 comments:
Don't be ridiculous Mike; everyone knows that DNA evidence is irrelevant as compared to the "Indigenous" people's claims. In USA apparently there is evidence from DNA samples and skeletons that old white long nose from early Europe may have been there 12,000 years ago. He would have walked across the Bering Strait in one of the small ice ages, even possibly the major ice age 17,000 years ago. At some time later he appeared to have died out, and of course as we all know the "Indian " was there forever by himself he says, and so it can't be true.
The American [ USA ] Indian has all rights to fossil skeletons for deposit of remains, so it is not easy to get hold of old long nose bones .. And all this rubbish about primitive European genes in 25% of Meso America population, well who cares. "Indigenous" believes his own myths for us to believe in, and if its good enough for him, its good enough for us.
Professor Ranginui Walker, past Head of Maori Studies at Auckland University knew Maori were not Indigenous to New Zealand in 1986 when he wrote in the, "1986 New Zealand Year Book" page 18, “The traditions are quite clear on one point, whenever crew disembarked there were already tangata whenua (prior inhabitants). The canoe ancestors of the 14-century merged with these tangata whenua tribes. From this time on the traditions abound with accounts of tribal wars over land and its resources. Warfare was the means by which tribal boundaries were defined and political relations between tribes established. Out of this period emerged 42 tribal groups whose territories became fixed after the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi and the establishment of Pax Britannica”. (Pax Britanica - British Peace).
Rev Henry Williams and his son Edward also knew this when they translated the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, referring to the chiefs that signed the Tiriti o Waitangi as "tangata Maori".
And even "tangata Maori" knew they were not "tangata whenua" as over 500 tangata Maori chiefs signed the Tiriti o Waitangi as "tangata Maori".
What more evidence do we need when the people that signed the Tiriti o Waitangi in
1840 knew they were not tangata whenua or the indigenous people of New Zealand!
I just find it hard to believe that no other people "found" NZ before the Maori. I'm certainly not racist but would love to know the proper history of the country rather than modern myths emanating from 'Chinese whispers' that is bound to happen with no written language.
Mike you are raising questions that demand answers. I feel I am a descendant of the pre-Maori settlers of our land but the interventionist, racist Waitangi Tribunal does not recognize the archaeology and anthropology supporting my claim, except when our white man's science is manipulated to support its divisive agenda favouring Maori.
Just to contribute more to the argument, similar evidence has surfaced in the USA about early European and Asian settlers. This may be of interest as a historically parallel situation to the Kelts who arrived in NZ pre-Maori.
According to Frank Joseph's book 'Advanced Civilizations of Prehistoric America' (Joseph is editor of 'Ancient American' magazine) around 1,000 B.C. the Adena people appeared on the USA eastern seaboard and these were 'Kelts". Their civilization flourished until A.D. 700 when the last of these people were massacred at the falls of the Ohio Rover near Louisville Kentucky. The Adena built the mounds found in the Ohio valley.
Around 300 B.C. another group known as the 'Hopewell' culture consisting of Japanese seafarers originally known as the Munakata arrived on the Pacific Northwest coast and moved inland to the Midwest. These Hopewell joined forces with the Adena in a common purpose to defend their societies from the hostile threats of the tribal people found around their areas. By A.D. 400 the Hopewell culture was killed off by hostile other groups.
Interesting to note how the two advanced, more peaceful and cooperative cultures of Kelt and Japanese origin were over centuries overwhelmed and destroyed by more hostile, predatory tribal groups. Their existence has been overlooked and so we have had an incomplete picture of the human history. Now it looks as if NZ has a similar historical pattern which is being supressed in the interests of land ownership politics. What's the Keltic world for "Hikoi?"
Thank you for your scholarship to bring together more of the facts about NZ 'biculturalism'. Apparently there are more first cultures here than can fit onto the Waitangi tribunal bench.
Could more information be provided about the hiding of important facts in the National Archives for 75 years? Perhaps you could clear up this detail and expand on that aspect for us.
Regards,
Chris Newman
Isn't it also true that the New Zealand Government has placed a ban on the exploration and public exposure of 105 archaeological sites as part of this secrecy by those who seek to profit from this official deception?
The polynesian rat is taken to be the first sign of human habitation. That doesn't mean that humans couldn't have come without rats (earlier) so it all comes down to an archeological footprint. I just can't see NZ's mainstream scientists sitting by if there was some solid evidence with this one: they would be jumping up and down with curiosity?
Hello Chris,
comments like "I feel like I am a descendant to pre European Maori settlers"
really.. come on, forgive me but that is just ridiculous and I myself being blessed of both worlds of European & Maori decent and are related to those red haired Maori, good people too. I have heard some racist comments in my life time from both Pakeha and Maori but I'm afraid yours and other similar comments really top the cake. It is just digging and scare mongering.
Are you not happy of who you are, if not then may I suggest to try another religion.
Honestly, there are humans of all ages dying all over the world from War torn countries to starvation and the lack of a simple thing as clean water and your main concern is who landed in New Zealand first??
Come on...
I watched Episode 1 and 2 of Skeletons in the Cupboard. The older woman with red and blonde haired descendants said her forbears were from Iran, not India.
In various countries around the world (notably the US) Sasquatch or Yetti were reportedly been seen by early explorers. Is it inconceivable those creatures made it down here and were seen by early Maori?
Chris Newman, You have been misinformed regarding the Adena and Hopewell. First of all this was in Ohio , which is not the eastern seaboard . I know as I was born and raised in Ohio. It's a long drive to the beach. Better off flying. 2nd, the only thing you have correct is that these people became allies, but they did not die out. They found another group of people to ally with and helped found the Shawnee nation, they still live today, mostly in Oklahoma.
I grew up in NZ and remember hearing stories of the pre-maori peoples back in the late 70's. From my own search for affiliation within a "European" context, I've come to realise that no racial or cultural group is from anywhere as humanity has always been on the move. Europeans are not "from" Europe if you believe the Out Of Africa theory for instance. It is important I think to know we are all Polynesian in a sense.
Honestly I think there was a trade wind diaspora long before history generally acknowledges. There are whispers of evidence for it, traces of plant matter that should not have existed according to history at some many global sites when they were thought to be localized.
I think people underestimate the courage of ancient peoples, and diminish them in order to elevate modern people.
A tall race did exist.... keep watching. Evidence is coming soon
Just for some reality of those with red hair etc keep in mind if you have european ancestry you could very likely get it from that side too. To be honest all this fighting over who is indigenous and the lack of empathy from british/european maori not considering and being realistic about all dna, the fact they hear they are amazing and we get lied about and told to basically remove our culture which was also apart of theirs, we should not have such literal racist policies and so much bad mouthing and lying about "pakeha" as if this is normal in govt and media in 2022, when it isnt unless you are so easily manipulated with hateful stories with no story from both sides. This is the only reason why all of this continues is to control all nzers, their choices to have their cultures and families merged and we'd know a lot more if we empowered and were honest and positive about ALL our people, as NZ is not as it once was and it has changed and evolved and respectful, it was a place full of open and grateful people who was proud of all their origins. Our leaders are lying about our ancestors and as someone descended of colonials, red head irish and scandinavian people, this hair colour, skin colour indication of a person is very backward and bad mouthing colonials in which there was a lot of good, its shameful to hear racists in our govt and people blindly going along with this in this modern time where our families have integrated and these people are just as a part of and important as any maori if family means something, apparently there is no problem favouring other immigrants that came after. It feels like maori are so ignorant about their european and others british ancestors and families thanks to either racist families, being easily manipulated or our now ignorant govt. As a person descended of colonials and as someone who knows of others, i and everyone else deserved to hear the good truth about their journeys and cultures like everyone else, not ignorance, jealousy and stories from hateful racists. I truly hope the truth comes out so we can celebrate our unities, families and get to stop having our taxes and histories and evolved cultures taken off all of us
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