Wayne Ryburn: Article 4 - Exposing History Curriculum Myths

This is the fourth of a series of eight articles exposing some of the myths about New Zealand's History, now being taught to secondary school students. 

Article 1 can be seen HERE, Article 2 HERE, Article 3 HERE.

The Level 5 workbook for Year 10 students on the "Treaty of Waitangi - Te Tiriti o Waitangi" was published and has been in use since 2014. The page numbers and headings in the text are referenced throughout the series of articles. 

Some aspects, especially on the Taranaki and Waikato wars, are also re-taught in greater depth in the History curriculum at Year 13.

The series of articles was written as a critique to the editor of ESA publications, Jo Crichton and the author of the text book, F J Gibson. This critique was sent in October last year - to date there has been no reply.

ARTICLE 4 - EXPOSING HISTORY CURRICULUM MYTHS 

The 3^rd Myth: That Wiremu Kingi was a paramount chief over the inferior Teira, and the causes for the “invasion” of the Waikato.

Pg 31 The European Perspective of the Treaty and Kingitanga Movement.

There is a clear need to explain in the text why both Governors Gore-Brown and Grey saw the Kingite movement as a treasonable organisation.

British authority was being challenged not only in Taranaki, but elsewhere, on the East Coast, in Hawkes Bay and Wellington. A stand had to be made to ensure settlers were not harmed in these regions.

Pg 32-33 The New Zealand Wars, Taranaki and Waikato

The Kingite interference in Northern Taranaki was the result of conquest of the area back in 1832 when most of Te Atiawa were forced to move to the Wellington region following war with Ngati Maniapoto and Waikato. Those who remained were willing sellers of land, as European settlement brought not just settlers but law and order also.

The Kingitangi’s move to restrict land sales was seen as an attempt to restrict the rights of Maori to sell land under Article 3 of the Treaty, which gave Maori the rights of British citizens. Te Wherowhero,had made it clear that TeAtiawa only lived in Taranaki by sufferance due to the conquest by Waikato and Maniapoto and they would have final say on land issues. Chief Teira’s attempts to sell land at Waitara was being thwarted by Wiremu Kingi.

In May 1844, Land Commissioner Spain finally approved the sale of 60,000 acres to the NZ Company, which it had originally purchased in 1839. Meanwhile many Te Atiawa returned to Taranaki and Spain simply refused to accept that those returning had any claim to the land as they had forfeited all their rights to it. He argued that if they (returning Te Atiawa) retained rights in land they once held it would put into question every other land purchase made in the colony, leading to serious conflict between settlers and Maori. The result led some Te Atiawa to destroy settlers’ property and drive them off land previously sold; only stopping when assured that the Governor would look into their grievances.

Fitzroy purchased land, as did Grey who followed him - two blocks at Omata and Tataraimaka - a further 28 chiefs sold the Mangorei block of 10,000 acres. However Wiremu Kingi’s return stopped further land sales in 1848. Kingi had been invited back by Te Wherowhero to settle on the northern bank of the Waitara River. Instead Kingi chose the southern bank, where he built a pa (1849-50). Animosity between chiefs in the Taranaki region led to increasing disputes over land sales. Chief Teira wanted to sell land at Waitara, however Kingi claimed it was his right to veto land sales.

In 1859, Gore-Brown’s response was not to purchase, if ownership was under dispute. However he had conceded that if land was collectively owned it could have been vetoed by any of its owners. This policy change would have meant no land would have been sold at all in the 1850s. Between 1854-59, inter-tribal feuding led to lawlessness, and requests were made for government intervention by both Maori and settlers.

Meanwhile Teira was adamant the land at Waitara, the Pekapeka block was his to sell. Robert Parris, Land Commissioner, was sent to investigate. Wiremu Kingi appeared to occupy the land due to family conflict : Kingi’s son had married a woman who had been betrothed to one of Teira’s relatives. Ihaia and Teira supported the sale as a means of asserting utu/revenge. Parris claimed that Kingi admitted that he did not have customary rights to the land.

In another story, Kingi was an ally of Katatore, who had been killed by Ihaia, so for this reason he opposed the land sale.

Teira was adamant the sale should proceed while Kingi took up arms, rebellion had begun. The colonial government had to go through with the purchase of land offered by Teira, otherwise it would have been seen to be supporting the anti-land seller Kingi versus the sale of land from a friendly chief, whose rights to sell were guaranteed under Article 3 of the Treaty.

The government rejected Kingi’s claim of veto and said that it didn’t rest on customary interests in the land itself, despite Kingi’s occupancy.

Kingi had merely kept his claim due to Governor Browne’s earlier ill-considered statement in 1859 that disputed land would not be purchased by the Crown.

Kingi’s policy was new, it was aimed at preventing land sales by asserting his authority over another chief.

Parris paid £100 deposit for the Pekapeka land block owned by Teira. In December 1859 surveying was commenced but resisted by Kingi’s side, leading to the declaration of Martial Law, 17 March 1860.

Meanwhile, the Waikato Kingite movement, set up as an imitation of the British monarchy,with claims it aimed to bring unity, law and security,to Maori, as well as to prevent sales of land to the Crown.

In April 1857, Waikato tribes at Rangiaowhia professed support for the Government and Queen, but they also wanted to have their own king.

Requests had been made by lower Waikato tribes for runangas (local councils), with a European magistrate and for laws it made enforced: Gore-Browne agreed to this, hoping that ideas of a separatist king would be given up.

P. 32 1^st Taranaki War

17th March, 1860 - in the conflict that ensued in the 1st Taranaki War Kingite forces were prominent in the fighting, in particular Ngati Maniapoto. Lower Waikato tribes met with government officials in May 1860. Much discussion ensued on whether they should become involved in the Waitara conflict. On 24th May Wiremu Nero led tribes to support the Crown.

On the 27th of June, the Battle of Puketakaure, Kingi, backed by Ngati Maniapoto warriors, attacked 350 British troops, of whom 30 died and 34 were wounded. There were stories of Maori killing both wounded soldiers and those who had surrendered. 200 houses were destroyed, and sheep, cattle and horses were killed or stolen. British settlers had to flee to New Plymouth, while many women and children were evacuated to Nelson.

In retaliation for this destruction, at the Battle of Mahoetahi 5th November 1860 150 warriors led by a Matamata chief Taiporutu, keen to engage in battle, would leave 50 Maori warriors killed,with 60 injured. British casualties were light,only 4 killed, 17 injured. Following the battle, British troops, local militia and pro government Maori carried out a scorched earth policy, 20-30% of villages and cultivations were destroyed, all however had been abandoned. By Jan 1861 the number of Waikato warriors had increased to 800, the war in Taranaki was escalating as Kingi built a series of fortifications. The increasing presence inTaranaki of Kingite warriors would lead to the Waikato conflict two years later.

Meanwhile, between July and August 1860, in Auckland, the Kohimarama Conference was held to shore up Maori support for the Crown, due to the rising influence of the Kingitanga movement and at the same time to condemn Wiremu Kingi’s resistance to the purchase of the Waitara block. Over 200 chiefs were present, less Kingites. A reaffirmation was made by chiefs as being loyal to the Queen, and that “Christianity” and “British Law” were deemed to be important. One other important discussion point was the the resentment by chiefs to not being able to sell or lease land directly to settlers.  They also requested the need to define individual and family land interests. This would soon eventuate with the Native lands Act. Opposition towards the Kingites was evident, with support given by all, except three chiefs to the government over its resolve in Taranaki.

 In the House of Representative, Octavias Hadfield expounded his interpretation of Maori land rights, but in this he showed bias in favour of Wiremu Kingi - who was his patron chief. In turn, Kingi had been Hadfield’s missionary student. Hadfield claimed that Teira was an inferior chief subject to the law of his superior. Thus its from Hadfield’s stance that the myth came about that it was a conflict between a paramount chief over an inferior chief.

Gore-Brown’s declaration on May 31, 1861, aimed to reassert British sovereignty over the Waikato. He intended to invade, compel by submission and punish those tribes who had joined in the Taranaki war. In the declaration, Brown insisted the upper Waikato tribes must submit to the Queen’s sovereignty and authority of law, restoration of plunder and compensation for losses, along with compliance to the law and that there would be no retribution.

In June 1861, at Ngaruawahia, the Waikato Maori response was to call for discussion before any act of war was to be made. Wiremu Tamihana refused to submit to the Queen’s sovereignty and accept Gore-Brown’s settlement. He also made a clear threat to attack Auckland, Several plans were apparently developed in September with the aim to sack Auckland, with some people to be spared while others slaughtered.

Gore-Brown’s failure to resolve the confrontation would lead to the return of George Grey as governor in September 1861. Grey realised that the major threat to government policy was NOT in Taranaki, but was with the Waikato Kingitanga movement.

Grey decided not to enforce Gore-Browne’s ultimatum, but he refused to accept there could be a separate Maori King. He offered to establish runangas to govern Maori and establish good government plus law and order. Each tribal district would have its own runanga to make local laws and regulations. Magistrates would hold court to deal with disputes. Grey’s policy was to “dig around the Kingitanga until it collapsed”. Grey may have  also been influenced by the American Civil War that started when the Confederate South ceded from the union in 1861 and was determined to prevent the kingitanga’s claim to sovereignty leading to a similar result.

In January 1862 Wiremu Tamihana, in a letter to Grey, said he would no longer allow the Waitara to be investigated. His intransigence over the issue would lead to further conflict. Meanwhile Waikato Maori were preparing for war, gunpowder was purchased from Tauranga - where a French vessel was known to supply powder, guns and muskets to the Kingitanga.

In July 1861 Kingitanga fortifications were built at Ramarama and Pukewao, with food stockpiled. Settlers near Napier were also becoming intimidated by local Maori.

Between 1862-3 tensions were rising as the government's law was increasingly being obstructed. At Te Kohekohe in the Waikato, violence erupted between Kingites and pro government chiefs over building a new court house.

Road building became an issue as Wiremu Neru wanted to sell land to the government and construct a road between Raglan and the Waipa River. Again, this was opposed by Kingites who stopped its construction.

A constabulary station planned for Kohekohe was thwarted by Kingites throwing timber into the river: Gorst, the government’s Waikato agent, was evicted and both the mission station and technical school were attacked by Ngati Maniapoto.

Rewi Maniapoto was implicated in all of the above. Northern Maori Chiefs, in particular Waka Nene, informed Grey that it was time to strike at the King movement. Gorst claimed that there was lawlessness in the Waikato and that war was imminent. Rewi then moved into the Taranaki with 600 warriors in April 1863.

The 2nd Taranaki War

Settlers who had purchased land in 1847 had been prevented between 1860-61 from returning to occupying it. Premier Fox aimed to rectify this situation.
Wiremu Tamihana accepted this in an agreement made with the government in January 1863. But Rewi and the other chiefs extorted local Maori not to give up the land. Grey decided to act swiftly and decisively and sent troops to Taranaki. His aim was to reoccupy both the Tataraimaka and Omata blocks, previously purchased south of New Plymouth. Local Maori ,Ngati Ruanui, asked the Waikato what to do, with urging by Rewi Maniapoto, the reply came to “start shooting”. Rewi sent over 600 men in to support them.

 Meanwhile Maori living in Auckland exhumed their dead and moved south into the Waikato. Missionaries including Bishop Selwyn increasingly supported Grey’s policies that “the Kingite extremists were creating chaos and havoc, and something needed to be done”. Even Bishop Selwyn, a strong advocate of Maori rights, by 1863 could not see any alternative to the military campaign in the Waikato. He came to see the kingitanga movement as anti settler and anti missionary. Grey also repudiated the Waitara purchase, the potential cause of conflict, at the same time. The ambush on British troops, with 9 soldiers killed, who were moving into the Omata Block would in time lead to the justification for the Crown’s later forfeiture of land in Taranaki as punishment for rebellion.

On 20 June 1863, James Fallon, Native Assessor, detailed in a memorandum the plans that the Kingites had developed to attack Auckland and other European settlements all over the North Island. Waikato were sending letters across the North Island  to invoke attack on settlers, especially in Napier and Wellington. Already by May 1863, the pa at Rangiriri was well established with  about 4000 kingitanga warriors being rotated to build it.

Meanwhile Grey had abandoned plans to complete the purchase of the Pekapeka block from Teira as Wiremu Tamihana wouldn’t allow a tribunal to investigate the Waitara issue, nor did Tamihana want the land to be given up.

The support given to Taranaki tribes,in the 2nd War, from Rewi Maniapoto was considered by Grey to be an act of rebellion. The Sims Commission in 1926 would reconfirm this, that the Kingitanga were in a state of rebellion by its actions against the Crown. The Sims report (1926-27) referred to the NZ Settlements Act, and considered whether or not land confiscations were fair or unjust. The commission argued that those Maori who fought in the 2nd Taranaki War “were engaged in rebellion” but they should not have been punished by confiscation of their lands.

A Compensation plan was proposed  by the Sims Commission which was finally enacted under The Taranaki Claims Settlement Act of 1944. This gave an annual compensation of ￡5,000 to the Trust Board. A further ￡300 Parihaka reparation payment was made for the wrong done to natives at Parihaka, while ￡3,000 annual payment was made to Waikato Maori, to compensate for “excessive confiscations”. All of these payments were settled in 1946 as “full and final settlements”.

A decisive battle was won by British Troops on 4 June at Katikara River, which ended the 2nd Taranaki War.  This was important  for the demoralised  Taranaki settler community, that the government would defend their right to maintain and develop lands purchased in good faith. The scene was set for the conflict to move to the Waikato. As Matthew Wright has written, “the politics of the ‘Musket Wars’ shaded into the New Zealand Wars” and tribes took up opposing positions as they had before 1840.

Wayne Ryburn, an Auckland University graduate, with a thesis on the history of the Kaipara, “Tall Spars, Steamers and Gum”, has been a social science teacher for nearly 50  years.