Clive Bibby: Remembrance, if worth anything at all, should be about the whole truth

I recently read a front page article by historian Vincent O’Malley that was all about remembrance of what is often referred to as  “ The New Zealand Wars “.

Being a history junkie and as such, immediately attracted to the headline, after reading the first couple of paragraphs, l soon realised that this supposed recording of an important aspect of our nation’s history is quite a long way short of what l hoped it might be.

Bruce Moon: Spotlight on Ngai Tahu

“He who is greedy is always in want.”  Horace, (65-8 B.C.)

Well, greatly enriched with taxpayer money, the Ngai Tahu tribe is really getting used to throwing its weight around.  Sometimes of course this may be appropriate in the general scheme of things but perhaps it is time to have a closer look at what it amounts to.

Peter Bacos: Georg Forster - Around the World with Captain Cook

Sir Joseph Banks wanted to take on board two French horn players for his entertainment on Cook’s second voyage of discovery. The Admiralty declined this absurd request and instead offered the post as naturalist to the German polymath (Johann) Reinhold Forster who accepted on condition that his 17 year old son (Johann ) Georg accompany him. 

Dame Patsy Reddy, in her retiring address as governor – general said that one of the highlights of her period in office was Tuia 250 which commemorated the amazing voyages across the Pacific of the Polynesian navigators. 

No mention was made of Cook and certainly not the savant father and son who accompanied him. Our history is now being re-written by propagandists and every effort is made to downgrade the discovery of New Zealand by Europeans.