In “Stuff” for 2nd July 2023 there appears a piece by one Gabrielle McCullough, entitled “Racist Propaganda; The undercover campaign to infiltrate school libraries.” Wow! “Undercover”? That’s good, since the weapons used in this alleged “campaign” were actually books!! Hard covers or soft??
These books were published by independent publisher, Tross, of Khandallah, Wellington. Librarian Julia Smith at one school was “shocked” to find that a teacher had bought a couple of Tross books which were already on her library shelves. As the Stuff article continues:
“A historian had described the books as ‘racist propaganda’, and the publisher had a reputationi for distorting history. ‘I shared it with the head of history and Māori teachers who were both horrified,’ Smith said. ‘There were even tears.’”
The books, we are told, ‘were printed by Tross Publishing, a Kiwi company that has produced three books on New Zealand history in the past year. None of the authors appear to have relevant qualifications as historians. One book in its collection claims that the deaths of defenceless Māori women and children in the 1864 British invasion of Rangiaowhia are a myth,ii and another argues that the invasion of Māori at Parihaka was ‘inevitable and necessary.’”
The books, we are told, ‘were printed by Tross Publishing, a Kiwi company that has produced three books on New Zealand history in the past year. None of the authors appear to have relevant qualifications as historians. One book in its collection claims that the deaths of defenceless Māori women and children in the 1864 British invasion of Rangiaowhia are a myth,ii and another argues that the invasion of Māori at Parihaka was ‘inevitable and necessary.’”
Well now, just for a start:
1. Not one “defenceless Maori woman” nor child died in the 1864 action at Rangiaowhia. Any allegation to the contrary is a lie. Two Maori women, probably daughters of eye-swallower Kereopa Te Rau,iii did die in a hut following a sharp action in which Sergeant McHale had been shot dead when he entered it, calling for the occupants to surrender.iv
2. Rangiaowhia was British sovereign territory in the hands of rebels. To describe legitimate action for its recovery as an “invasion” is an abuse of the meaning of the word. The same applies for Parihaka.
McCulloch, in an apparent attempt to dismiss the calibre of Roger Childs, one Tross author (and all the rest, too, by implication) states: “One recent publication, by Roger Childs, simply lists ‘Wikipedia’ as a reference.”. In fact, Childs gives 73 references (by my count) and most literate people will know that such a minimal reference to Wikipedia is usually enough in looking there for what one seeks!
Enter “Historian Vincent O’Malley” in McCullough’s account, saying “Tross Publishing’s books were full of misinformation. Tross has established a reputation for producing works that I would describe as racist propaganda, These works aren’t going to provide any kind of accurate account of New Zealand history. They provide a totally distorted and misleading racist interpretation that bears little resemblance to what actually took place.” Either McCullough or O’Malley proceeds with “The books put forward a curatedv narrative: ‘It’s a view where Māori [are portrayed as] a backward, barbaric people until they’re saved by the British Crown.’”
We may note here that since cannibalism, slavery, female infanticide and endemic warfare were chronic aspects of pre-European Maori society, it might not be stretching the truth to say that they were actually “a backward, barbaric people” until they were “saved by the British Crown.” After all, nearly one third of their population had been slaughtered and usually eaten by other Maoris in the pre-1840 Musket Wars, with slaughter of females of breeding age fully accounting for the diminishing Maori population in the early colonial decades.vi
Be that as it may, McCullough proceeds to inform us that: “Historian Vincent O'Malley is an expert on the history of Māori, European settlers and colonisation.”
With this glowing introduction, O’Malley proceeds to inform us that: “Writing credible historical works takes a ‘huge amount of research’, adding that a review of Tross publications showed that their books didn’t meet that standard. “If you look at the sources that these works rely on, it’s a very narrow range of sources. Essentially, they’re cherry-picking documents that fit their particular view of New Zealand history.”
“Many of the books could appear legitimate at first glance”, O’Malley said. “It’s not always immediately obvious that these aren’t works of credible history. Some people are taken in by that,” he said.
We thought that we’d look more closely at that rather severe criticism by O’Malley and this is what we found for the nineteen Tross books in our possession.
Title Authors Pages References Bibliography?
“Twisting the Treaty” 4th Ed. 6 359 + 444
“One Treaty, One Nation” 8 314 262
“The Kingite Rebellion” 1 406 82 Yes
“Unrestrained Slaughter” 1 130 64 Yes
“Blood and Tears” 1 164 325 Yes
“The Treaty Basic Facts” 1 92 107 Yes
“Tribes, treaty, MONEY, power” 1 130 172 Yes
“The Benefits of Colonisation” 1 130 269 Yes
“Cannons Creek to Waitangi” 1 221 13
“Parihaka The Facts” 1 119 205 Yes
“When two cultures meet, (NZ) 1 280 477 Yes
“The Corruption of NZ democracy” 1 120 143 Yes
“The Gathering Storm” 1 110 52
“Once We Were One” 1 271 257 Yes
“He Puapua Blueprint For Breaking
up New Zealand” 1 169 118 Yes
‘Free Speech under attack” 5 212 242
“Dividing a Nation” 1 206 297 Yes
“Regaining a Nation” 1 237 309 Yes
“NZ History Curriculum ... ? 1 182 73 Yes
+ plus details of 81 “Treaty Settlements” to 30 June 2018 for $3,554,000,000
“Cherry-picking”, Mister O’Malley? That’s a helluva lot of cherries!!
And, as you say, “It’s not always immediately obvious that these aren’t works of credible history.” for the simple reason that they are works of credible history – or more importantly, they are works of true history. To deny this, Mister O’Malley, is a blatant falsehood.
Well, anyway, the aforesaid Julia Smith, “who is also the Northland representative for the School Library Association of New Zealand Aotearoa (SLANZA), agreed, and said the questionable history books had made their way into other school libraries beyond her own. ... Smith has since removed the books from her school library” ‒ for a ceremonial book-burning, perhaps?
Chiming in is “Manawatū primary school librarian and SLANZA president Sasha Eastwood” who “said Tross Publishing was approaching schools and ‘preying on the possible naivety’ of school staff and librarians. ... It is frightening,’ ... ‘It’s very biased material.’” Well, friends, that is a pretty severe accusation and a very dirty one too, with nothing to substantiate it but wild accusations.
“There is no place for misinformation and disinformation in our school libraries.”, says Eastwood. Of course we agree in principle, but if her published statements are any guide, we must surely have severe doubts about her own capacity to distinguish the false from the true.
Continuing, McCullough’s article discusses the new history curriculum which became compulsory in 2023 for all students up to year 10. “The curriculum also requires that schools teach history from hapū and iwi in their regions”. It continues: “Former Frankley School principal Damon Ritai ... has been encouraging schools to connect with their local hapū and iwi. ‘It’s about making sure that schools are authentically building a relationship. It’s like if I can knock on your door saying, “can I have all your family stories?”’
‘The only way to do it is to support marae, hapū and iwi to tell their narratives,’ he said. However, Ritai cautioned it was important that teachers and parents were alert for misinformation when teaching history.”
Of course we agree with this last statement but, for example, we recall to mind the gross lies and old wives tales handed down by Ngati Apakura and related today by such as Hazel Wandervii about the slaughter of innocent women and children at Rangiaowhia, all of which is a total fabrication. One may refer to a letter by Giselle Byrnes, Provost of Massey University, of 29th April 2019 to Chris Lee of Tauranga in which she quotes the abstract of Wander’s 2013 thesis for a Master in Adult Education degree which says in part: “When the alarm was raised ... the elderly along with the young mothers and their babies ran into ... the ... Catholic Church for refuge. ... Troopers set the Catholic Church on fire. All those who sought the safe haven ... were killed.” This is a gross lie. The church remained standing, undamaged but for a few bullet holes, and not one person was killed in it. Indeed it remained standing until about 1927 when, deserted and neglected, it was finally dismantled. How would Ritai rate that account?
In an interaction between Tross and Stuff, the names of two Tross contributors were stated: Dr Kelvin Duncan and Dr John Robinson, Duncan, a zoologist, “denying the scientifically-proven impact of humans on climate change.” Well, leaving aside the philosophical point that science never claims to “prove” anything, there are many well qualified people who would agree with Duncan on this still highly contestable issue. Robinson, qualified in mathematics and physics, whose doctorate was awarded by the prestigious Massachusetts of Technology, is extremely well qualified to assess evidence for its accuracy, consistency and relevance, all highly appropriate for a study of the miscellanea of the historical record. On one highly relevant aspect, his skill in mathematical modellingviii establishes beyond reasonable doubt that the decline in the Maori population in the early colonial decades is entirely accounted for by the slaughter of potential breeding females during the “Musket Wars” between Maori tribes before 1840.ix False impressions that this was caused by “the detrimental effect of European expansion” as claimed by Pool are without foundation.x What can O’Malley contribute on that point? Or Mesdames Smith and Eastwood either for that matter? The moral: Don’t blame colonialism for the damage that Maoris did to Maoris!!
In short, the evidence shows beyond reasonable doubt that the attention of well trained and experienced scientists who have learned to be objective to issues of the historical record and its relevance today is greatly to be valued and frequently found to be superior to that of academics and others with some training in other disciplines. Much of those scientists’ work is reported in well-written accounts published by Tross.
I rest my case.
1. Not one “defenceless Maori woman” nor child died in the 1864 action at Rangiaowhia. Any allegation to the contrary is a lie. Two Maori women, probably daughters of eye-swallower Kereopa Te Rau,iii did die in a hut following a sharp action in which Sergeant McHale had been shot dead when he entered it, calling for the occupants to surrender.iv
2. Rangiaowhia was British sovereign territory in the hands of rebels. To describe legitimate action for its recovery as an “invasion” is an abuse of the meaning of the word. The same applies for Parihaka.
McCulloch, in an apparent attempt to dismiss the calibre of Roger Childs, one Tross author (and all the rest, too, by implication) states: “One recent publication, by Roger Childs, simply lists ‘Wikipedia’ as a reference.”. In fact, Childs gives 73 references (by my count) and most literate people will know that such a minimal reference to Wikipedia is usually enough in looking there for what one seeks!
Enter “Historian Vincent O’Malley” in McCullough’s account, saying “Tross Publishing’s books were full of misinformation. Tross has established a reputation for producing works that I would describe as racist propaganda, These works aren’t going to provide any kind of accurate account of New Zealand history. They provide a totally distorted and misleading racist interpretation that bears little resemblance to what actually took place.” Either McCullough or O’Malley proceeds with “The books put forward a curatedv narrative: ‘It’s a view where Māori [are portrayed as] a backward, barbaric people until they’re saved by the British Crown.’”
We may note here that since cannibalism, slavery, female infanticide and endemic warfare were chronic aspects of pre-European Maori society, it might not be stretching the truth to say that they were actually “a backward, barbaric people” until they were “saved by the British Crown.” After all, nearly one third of their population had been slaughtered and usually eaten by other Maoris in the pre-1840 Musket Wars, with slaughter of females of breeding age fully accounting for the diminishing Maori population in the early colonial decades.vi
Be that as it may, McCullough proceeds to inform us that: “Historian Vincent O'Malley is an expert on the history of Māori, European settlers and colonisation.”
With this glowing introduction, O’Malley proceeds to inform us that: “Writing credible historical works takes a ‘huge amount of research’, adding that a review of Tross publications showed that their books didn’t meet that standard. “If you look at the sources that these works rely on, it’s a very narrow range of sources. Essentially, they’re cherry-picking documents that fit their particular view of New Zealand history.”
“Many of the books could appear legitimate at first glance”, O’Malley said. “It’s not always immediately obvious that these aren’t works of credible history. Some people are taken in by that,” he said.
We thought that we’d look more closely at that rather severe criticism by O’Malley and this is what we found for the nineteen Tross books in our possession.
Title Authors Pages References Bibliography?
“Twisting the Treaty” 4th Ed. 6 359 + 444
“One Treaty, One Nation” 8 314 262
“The Kingite Rebellion” 1 406 82 Yes
“Unrestrained Slaughter” 1 130 64 Yes
“Blood and Tears” 1 164 325 Yes
“The Treaty Basic Facts” 1 92 107 Yes
“Tribes, treaty, MONEY, power” 1 130 172 Yes
“The Benefits of Colonisation” 1 130 269 Yes
“Cannons Creek to Waitangi” 1 221 13
“Parihaka The Facts” 1 119 205 Yes
“When two cultures meet, (NZ) 1 280 477 Yes
“The Corruption of NZ democracy” 1 120 143 Yes
“The Gathering Storm” 1 110 52
“Once We Were One” 1 271 257 Yes
“He Puapua Blueprint For Breaking
up New Zealand” 1 169 118 Yes
‘Free Speech under attack” 5 212 242
“Dividing a Nation” 1 206 297 Yes
“Regaining a Nation” 1 237 309 Yes
“NZ History Curriculum ... ? 1 182 73 Yes
+ plus details of 81 “Treaty Settlements” to 30 June 2018 for $3,554,000,000
“Cherry-picking”, Mister O’Malley? That’s a helluva lot of cherries!!
And, as you say, “It’s not always immediately obvious that these aren’t works of credible history.” for the simple reason that they are works of credible history – or more importantly, they are works of true history. To deny this, Mister O’Malley, is a blatant falsehood.
Well, anyway, the aforesaid Julia Smith, “who is also the Northland representative for the School Library Association of New Zealand Aotearoa (SLANZA), agreed, and said the questionable history books had made their way into other school libraries beyond her own. ... Smith has since removed the books from her school library” ‒ for a ceremonial book-burning, perhaps?
Chiming in is “Manawatū primary school librarian and SLANZA president Sasha Eastwood” who “said Tross Publishing was approaching schools and ‘preying on the possible naivety’ of school staff and librarians. ... It is frightening,’ ... ‘It’s very biased material.’” Well, friends, that is a pretty severe accusation and a very dirty one too, with nothing to substantiate it but wild accusations.
“There is no place for misinformation and disinformation in our school libraries.”, says Eastwood. Of course we agree in principle, but if her published statements are any guide, we must surely have severe doubts about her own capacity to distinguish the false from the true.
* * * * *
Continuing, McCullough’s article discusses the new history curriculum which became compulsory in 2023 for all students up to year 10. “The curriculum also requires that schools teach history from hapū and iwi in their regions”. It continues: “Former Frankley School principal Damon Ritai ... has been encouraging schools to connect with their local hapū and iwi. ‘It’s about making sure that schools are authentically building a relationship. It’s like if I can knock on your door saying, “can I have all your family stories?”’
‘The only way to do it is to support marae, hapū and iwi to tell their narratives,’ he said. However, Ritai cautioned it was important that teachers and parents were alert for misinformation when teaching history.”
Of course we agree with this last statement but, for example, we recall to mind the gross lies and old wives tales handed down by Ngati Apakura and related today by such as Hazel Wandervii about the slaughter of innocent women and children at Rangiaowhia, all of which is a total fabrication. One may refer to a letter by Giselle Byrnes, Provost of Massey University, of 29th April 2019 to Chris Lee of Tauranga in which she quotes the abstract of Wander’s 2013 thesis for a Master in Adult Education degree which says in part: “When the alarm was raised ... the elderly along with the young mothers and their babies ran into ... the ... Catholic Church for refuge. ... Troopers set the Catholic Church on fire. All those who sought the safe haven ... were killed.” This is a gross lie. The church remained standing, undamaged but for a few bullet holes, and not one person was killed in it. Indeed it remained standing until about 1927 when, deserted and neglected, it was finally dismantled. How would Ritai rate that account?
In an interaction between Tross and Stuff, the names of two Tross contributors were stated: Dr Kelvin Duncan and Dr John Robinson, Duncan, a zoologist, “denying the scientifically-proven impact of humans on climate change.” Well, leaving aside the philosophical point that science never claims to “prove” anything, there are many well qualified people who would agree with Duncan on this still highly contestable issue. Robinson, qualified in mathematics and physics, whose doctorate was awarded by the prestigious Massachusetts of Technology, is extremely well qualified to assess evidence for its accuracy, consistency and relevance, all highly appropriate for a study of the miscellanea of the historical record. On one highly relevant aspect, his skill in mathematical modellingviii establishes beyond reasonable doubt that the decline in the Maori population in the early colonial decades is entirely accounted for by the slaughter of potential breeding females during the “Musket Wars” between Maori tribes before 1840.ix False impressions that this was caused by “the detrimental effect of European expansion” as claimed by Pool are without foundation.x What can O’Malley contribute on that point? Or Mesdames Smith and Eastwood either for that matter? The moral: Don’t blame colonialism for the damage that Maoris did to Maoris!!
In short, the evidence shows beyond reasonable doubt that the attention of well trained and experienced scientists who have learned to be objective to issues of the historical record and its relevance today is greatly to be valued and frequently found to be superior to that of academics and others with some training in other disciplines. Much of those scientists’ work is reported in well-written accounts published by Tross.
I rest my case.
Bibliography:
i. Underlining as in the article quoted
ii. ditto
iii. Who had stood in missionary Volkner’s pulpit, swallowed his eyes and drunk his blood from his skull.
Ref: M Tagg, “The Martyr’s Crown”, ISBN 0-473-11187-
iv. For a fully referenced description of the Rangiaowhia action in a book not published by Tross, see B.Moon, “New Zealand, the fair colony”, ISBN 978-0-473-53728-9, pp26ff.
v. We are not quite sure what O’Malley means by his curious use of this word which does not appear to correspond with any meaning in our copy of the Shorter Oxford Dictionary, page 473!
vi. J.Robinson, “When two cultures meet”, ISBN 9781872 970318, 2012
vii. “Waikato Times”, 9/12/17
viii. A very powerful tool if used competently, as I can testify from my own experience, recounted to the Nelson Institute on 4th June 2023 in a talk entitled “On being a rocket scientist”.
ix. “When Two Cultured Meet”, Tross, 2012, ISBN 1-872970-31-1, pp 60 ff.
x. Robinson, op.cit., p. 51.
Bruce Moon is a retired computer pioneer who wrote "Real Treaty; False Treaty - The True Waitangi Story".
13 comments:
It is great to have the facts, when you can get them. Tross publishing are making our historical records available in an accessible format. Ian Wishart's book "Our Stories" did the same thing in it's day (1990's) with many quotes, references and photos from contemporary reports and papers.
I guess you could say that without colonisation there would have been no muskets. However, without colonisation there would have been no civilised recognition of a stone age people and the making of a great little nation.
MC
Well said, Bruce.
Thank you for standing up for truth against those book burning liars !
Thankyou , will stuff or any msm print your article , I doubt it , it’s very disturbing watching the history of Nz being twisted and seemingly not able to do anything about it apart from trying to a alert friends and family , I will share your article as much as I can . Stuff may be risking a defamation with this ?
Mr OMalley's books could also be described as being prone to many fabrications purporting to be facts.
I have read numerous books on New Zealand early history by a large number of different writers. I have found the books published by Tross are very informative and totally agree with the assertation of references. It has cost me hundreds of dollars following deeper lines of historic enquiry by purchasing these references where possible, frequently finding original supportive information from earlier works written many years ago. Thank you Tross Publications for finding these excellent well researched writers. Those of us who believe in Democracy and the freedom of speech, are disheartened and even angry at the direction this country is going. Ian McGimpsey
Vincent O'Malley is a self-confessed Fenian and hater of the British due to his Irish ancestry. He is far too biased to be a reputable historian
I was very angry when I read the article in Stuff. It is just so bigoted and full of profligate lies.
Do they not realise calling something disinformation is an inflammatory term that arouses opposition? Are they so blinded they can't conceive for an instant that alternative views could have even some element of truth in them?
Thank you so much for your article, Bruce.
Yes, I had heard that Vincent O'Malley hates British people, yet he is an advisor to our Government.
I have read two Tross books and found nothing 'racist' in them. I felt thay gave a very honest account.
It is disturbing that the Government now dismisses any opinion which disagrees with these views as 'disinformation'. I shudder to think what is happening to the history and science that is being taught to my grandchildren.
It would be interesting to know what qualifications the lead authors actually hold - and what sort of grades they achieved. It does seem that they are rather stupid.
The article from Stuff was spot on. Tross authors are nothing but snake oil salesman. Their work is poorly written, referenced, and distributed. I'm glad librarians are now more switched on than to accept this poor attempt at historiography. Perhaps Tross will find an audience in those whose prejuidices are already so readily apparent - whose open contempt for Māori (not Maori, Bruce) leaves them as bitter as the authorship of these faux-histories are.
Please explain the contradiction:
“ Not one defenceless Maori woman nor child died in the 1864 action at Rangiaowhia….. Two Maori women …did die in a hut.”
Are you inferring because 2 died, it is correct to say that not one died?
Brian, they were apparently armed and shooting, therefore not "defenceless".
Maybe they were apparently armed, but I don’t think one can assume that without evidence
….and I think if Bruce Moon had evidence they were armed he would have provided it to bolster his case. If documented evidence shows 2 women were shot and killed, it is only a lie if one considers taking shelter in a wooden hut is classified as being defensive. Bruce to provide the evidence?
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