The New Zealand Land Wars
Also known as 'The New Zealand Wars' and 'The Maori Wars' (although the latter is now deemed politically incorrect and is no longer in use)
Introduction
The New Zealand Wars were a series of conflicts involving the British Imperial and Colonial troops, and the Maori tribes almost entirely only of the North Island. This was because in the South Island the surviving members of the Ngai Tahu -less than 2000- had sold almost all of their lands. In settler economic life and politics the South Island was dominant.
These wars were not, as often preconceived, storms in a teacup or gentlemanly rounds of fisticuffs but bitter and bloody struggles. They should be regarded as as important to New Zealand as were the French Revolution to France except that New Zealand did not end up ruling most of Europe as a consequence.
In proportion to New Zealand population at the time, the fights were large in scale. About 18000 British troops were mobilized for the biggest campaign. This force was fighting against the Maori population who totaled less than 80000 men, women and children.
The Maori resistance is worth telling as a story by itself but the wars did have a longer-term meaning. They were crucial in the development of race relations in New Zealand, and marked a watershed in the history of the country. Worldwide importance should be noted also. These wars were a perfect example of the resistance of non-European peoples to the Imperial expansion challenge.
This series of events also shows a side of the Maori people not often seen - the bravery and skill of the "noble savage" against terrible odds.
Causes of the New Zealand Land Wars
In the mid 1800's, conflict was developing between European and Maori. The European settlers were anxious to obtain more land for farming, but many of the Maori tribes were increasingly reluctant to sell their precious land.
Acquisition of land had often taken place with little understanding on both sides. Very sketchy translations was partly to blame but more so were the completely different attitudes to land by the different cultures.
Europeans did not understand the concept that the Maori lived by in relation to land governorship.
'We do not own the land,
The land owns us'
The settlers felt that the land was not being used and they wanted to burn off the forests and plant grass for their sheep and cattle to graze.
Not understanding the tribal system, a European buyer might pay a chief who is in charge of a piece of land, then believing that that piece of land belonged to him, only to find a Maori camp squatting on his land the next day. They had not signed their rights away for the land and believed that they still had the right to the land. This sort of problem led to serious disputes.
The Maori people for centuries had inter-tribal war and showed a willingness to fight for their land and rights. This did not stop when Europeans arrived.
They did not regard the British 'Redcoats' with their cumbersome equipment and tactics as impossible to defeat. On the other hand the British troops were used to putting down native peoples by force of arms. Both sides were convinced that they could defeat the other side and when that happens, conflict is sure to follow.
During the 1840's it would have been impossible for the settlers and the few British troops to withstand a concerted Maori attack but by 1860 the European population had grown to exceed that of the Maori, and British troops were permanently stationed in New Zealand.
Tension was rising between the settlers and the Maori that only required an incident to erupt into serious violence.
Two important events which, although did not spark off the wars did create extra tension was the Wairau incident and the antics of Hone Heke.
At Wairau, the first violent clash, which ended in the deaths of four Maori and twenty-two Europeans, occurred.
On 17 June 1843, the local magistrate and fifty armed settlers set out from Nelson to enforce a claim to land at Wairau, which they believed they had purchased. The Ngati Toa chiefs, Te Rauparaha and Te Rangihaeta believed that their people owned the land and had not been paid for it. Similar disputes had previously been settled by compromise or set aside for further inquiry and in this case Te Rauparaha was willing to negotiate, but the settlers attempted to arrest him, as British law dictated. Firing broke out and the settlers were defeated and pushed back by an equal number of Maori. The British took no action over this incident, mainly because they lacked resources and large-scale conflict was thus avoided.
Another important event was Hone Heke's demonstrations at Kororareka, Bay of Islands.
Hone Heke had previously been encouraging European influence but had become disillusioned by the 'white man' after the shift of the Capital to Auckland and other minor incidents. On 8 July 1844 he cut down the flagstaff with the British colours flying above. Troop support for the British to put down the rebellion was slow to come and the area calmed down before they arrived, resulting in no major further incidents. Hone Heke replaced the flagstaff, but on reflection and with prompting by interested parties once again demolished it on 9 January 1844. The British troops repaired the damage only to see it cut down a third time.
The next replacement was built with iron supports and defences were built to protect the flag and the European settlers.
Despite this, Hone Heke and ally, Kawiti, attacked the blockhouses and settlement of Kororareka on 11 March. The village was burnt to the ground and nineteen people were killed.
Conflicts over land sales was by far the main cause of the New Zealand land wars, these disputes continue to be raised today resurfacing the grief of yesteryear.
The Fighting Techniques of Each Side
In pre-European days, armed conflict was common among the Maori tribes, who were a race of warriors. A warrior (Toa) was trained in the arts of war, in suppleness of body, quickness of foot and skill in the use of all weapons from an early age. They had no time for a heavy weapon because his most remarkable quality, both in attack and defence, was agility. Neither the bow and arrow or sling was used, missile weapons were confined to stones and spears thrown by hand, and the whip-propelled dart. These were not the favourite arms, however, for the Maori preferred hand-to-hand combat.
The basic fighting unit of the Maori was the hapu. This has been reported as war parties of about mid hundreds with a top number of 1500.
When white traders and missionaries came to New Zealand, Maori chiefs were quick to see the advantages of the musket and the power it gave them over the enemy without it. The scale of destruction increased ten-fold.
Before the teachings of Christianity, cannibalism was a regular practice in war. Maori believed that by eating their enemies they were securing utu (revenge) and mana (prestige). Maori fighting was extremely ethical in practice.
Traditionally the Maori was a fierce, vindictive and sometimes treacherous fighter. His chief assets as a warrior were his skill with simple but ingenious arms, his cunning strategy and tactics, the defence works and most importantly his ferocious combat.
The British army was initially ill equipped and wore impractical dress. The British army was very clever at tactically planned battles but was awkward and slow to fight in this terrain. They used huge, clumsy guns, which were impossible to lug through the bush. Roads had to be cut for any travel which took a lot of time.
During the North Island wars, the Maori relied on the traditional tactics of building a pa (fortified hill) on the tribal land they wished to defend and inviting the British or Colonial troops to take it. The system worked well when both sides had the same weapons but was useless with the use of the heavy artillery used by the British. Maori learned quickly that despite their courage and each man fought in his own way, the discipline of the British soldier always prevailed in set-piece battles on open ground.
Once Maori had learnt these lessons, the Maori turned to the guerilla alternative of ambush and surprise raids where they had always been successful. The theory of divide and rule was also applied by the government, who clearly saw the advantage of using the friendly tribes who were often the enemy to the rebellious tribes and could be relied on to fight with the skill and ruthlessness of their own countrymen. In many ways the aims of the loyalist Maori (Kupapa) were no different to those rebelling. All wanted to ensure the survival of their land and retention of heritage.
The Maori King
Before the Europeans arrived in New Zealand, the Maori did not think of themselves as one nation but as members of various tribes. After they arrived they began to refer to themselves as normal or Maori and the newcomers as Pakeha.
They also noticed that the Europeans, mainly the British and French because they were the main settlers, were ruled by a King or Queen. This seemed to give them unity and Maori developed the idea that they should also have a king.
A meeting was called at Ngaruawahia in June 1858, in order to elect a Maori king. Te Wherowhero was invited to return to the Waikato and become the first Maori king. He took the name Potatau. At the meeting he was crowned king.
The King was supported by the tribes of the central North island, Waikato, Ngati Haua and Ngati Maniapoto, the Ngati Tuwharetoa tribe from Taupo and later the Taranaki tribes and some East Coast tribes.
King Potatau had his own councilors, soldiers, constables, a surveyor and a magistrate. The movement also had a newspaper called Te Hokioi and a code of laws drawn up.
The European settlers and the Governor resented the King movement because they regarded it as disloyal to the British Queen. It was also a serious set back for further land purchases. Eventually Governor Grey ordered General Cameron to invade the Waikato area in 1863 to break the power of the Maori King.
The Northern War
Hone Heke had started trouble in the North on July 1844. The attack on Kororareka by Heke and Kawiti compelled
Governor Fitzroy to take punitive measures. Before Fitzroy was ready to fight the Maori,
Tamati Waka Nene began hostilities by cutting down a boundary pole on which Heke had placed his
Tapu (
sacred). Heke responded by sending his wife
Rongo to seek peace. Nene rejected this and fighting broke out.
By the end of April 1845, Fitzroy had received reinforcements numbering four hundred troops under the leadership of Colonel Hulme. The troops set out from Onewhero Bay for Puketutu only 20 miles away but they were unprepared for cross-country marches, the weather was wet and the terrain was difficult. Their food supplies were running low by the time they were ready to attack. The pa was strong and well defended and Kawiti was at hand to give assistance. Maori losses were more than double the British loss of 52 but the pa was not taken and the leaders were not captured.
Instead of the easy possibility of plundering and destroying the deserted and scattered settlers homes and mission station in the Bay of Islands, Heke and Kawiti prepared for the next British attack. By this action, Heke and Kawiti showed their respect for the missionaries and civilians. Heke even refused to allow an access bridge to be destroyed.
Before Ohaeawai was completed, Heke was wounded and put out of action. Fresh troops from New South Wales under Colonel Despard arrived. They suffered the same difficulties as Hulme's troops but by June 23 had reached Ohaeawai. They had brought with them large guns to breach the stockade but after a week of bombardment had no effect against the superbly built pa. Against advice from Maori allies he ordered a frontal attack that turned out to be a suicidal failure. Another attack was considered in the following ten days when unnoticed, the defenders slipped from the pa unseen leaving an empty shell and ambushing the troops. British casualties were over 100 and Kawiti's virtually nil. Fitzroy was relieved of his post and Captain George Grey was appointed in his place. Grey sided a lot more strongly with the settler's point of view and at the same new military forces and supplies were arriving in New Zealand.
Heke and Kawiti with Fitzroy carried out negotiations while waiting for Grey to take over and both sides were not looking to carry on the war.
When Grey reached the Bay of Islands at the end of November 1845 he issued an ultimatum which was not well received and received unsatisfactory answers. Overwhelming British forces were ready and Grey wanted to squash the Maori rebellious forces completely.
On December 8, Despard took his 1100 men, huge resources and increased artillery towards Ruapekapeka. They easily crushed Heke and Kawiti's forces with major Maori losses resulting. The resistance was defeated and after promised peace, Heke and Kawiti were granted free pardons.
The earlier British defeats were not due to ill-trained troops but the construction of the pas stood strong against the British cannons and rockets. Even more Maori success could have been won had they made full use of the stockades. In the end, Heke's loss of will to fight the war may have given the decisive factor for the British victory. Kawiti also deserves to be remembered as an outstanding military engineer and innovator.
The Taranaki War
At the beginning of March 1860, Governor Browne arrived at New Plymouth and instructed Colonel Gold to enforce the survey of Waitara. This in practice was the occupation of the block. On 17 March, Kingi and seventy or eighty of his warriors built a pa, Te Kohia, and refused to evacuate it. Shots were exchanged and the Taranaki war had begun. The British aim was to soundly defeat the Maori before the conflict could escalate. Gold's effort to secure the pa was unsuccessful and within a week Kingi's isolation was ended with the arrival of several Maori war parties. The Maori proceeded to vigorously plunder the abandoned settler's farms and killed many of the owners.
The Taranaki War can be divided into three phases:
The first phase was the battle of Waireka on 28 March. A British expedition was sent to rescue some settlers stranded south of Omata. They clashed on the way with Taranaki and Ngati Ruanui Maori.
The British force numbered about 360 troops against about 200 Maori. The main attack was a failure but another small naval British brigade bypassed the main fighting area and took the main Maori pa, killing over 150 Maori. This heavy blow allowed the settlers to march unmolested to New Plymouth a few hours later. The British settlers considered this the most successful attack on record against the natives with only one casualty on the British side. The reports were significantly biased though and exaggerated the number of Maori warriors and the desperate situation that they had left, after fighting.
The second phase was notable because of the intervention of the King movement and the battle of Puketakauere. These events marked the first clash between the British and a concerted Maori force.
In early July, the Atiawa and Ngati Maniapoto began building a pa at Puketakauere in full sight of a British field base at Camp Waitara. The move was a challenge and military threat to the British. It restricted freedom of movement to and from the camp and endangered its supply and security.
On 23 June a British party approached the builders to gain information and was fired on. This action fulfilled the criteria for the British to attack. It is quite possible that the attack was a British invention.
The following battle is the most important in the Taranaki war. It was one of the most clear-cut and disastrous defeats of the Imperial force. The British force in this battle was made up of elite troops most of which were lost. The full disaster was played down by the British, which emphasized the Maori losses that actually totaled only 5, not the reported 200. Also exaggerated was the number of Maori warriors who were grossly over-estimated at 1000.
The third phase of the war began in July. The disaster at Puketakauere apart from the first effect was the concern that the victorious Maori would cause a general Maori uprising. The British aimed next to deliver a vigorous blow on the rebel forces on the north and south of New Plymouth. The win was crucial for the British. Drawn out fighting ensued with no quick and decisive victory for the desperate British. By the end of 1860 there was a deadlock. Maori continued to raid settler property and despite British troops brought in to protect the settlers the raiding continued.
The deadlock was broken by the invention of a new method of attack against the strong Maori fortifications -sapping- this protected the troops from Maori firing. The Maori pa was the strongest form of defence for the Maori and the increasing ineffectiveness severely affected Maori defence strength. The British gained the upper hand and by 18 March hostilities stopped. A precarious peace treaty was agreed upon which ended the Taranaki war. It was not a complete military success for the British which made them willing to accept a more generous peace in Taranaki than would be the norm.
The Waikato Wars
The Waikato wars of 1863-4 involved the greatest number of troops on both sides.
After the Taranaki war, it seemed clear to Governor Browne that the Kingites needed to be compelled to submit to British rule. Resources were not available at the time and then Governor Grey replaced Browne. Grey ordered General Cameron in July 16 1863 to invade the Waikato. Grey's aim was to break the power of the King movement and take large areas of land to sell to pay for the large cost of the war.
He justified the attack by claiming that the Waikato tribes were the main forces behind the Taranaki wars and that they were a constant threat to peace in New Zealand.
At first General Cameron used the road that had been driven south of Auckland to transport troops and supply but later the river was used to penetrate deeper into Waikato territory.
In Taranaki the Maori had used temporary pa to hold off attackers then abandoning the positions and moving on to another pa. Cameron's plan was to occupy Waikato territory without attacking pa unnecessarily, until the Waikato tribes had to make a stand or lose all of their precious land.
The first major battle was fought near Koheroa where the British attacked an unprepared Maori war party causing considerable losses.
Another large battle was at Rangiriri where the Waikato tribes had congregated and a strong defensive position had been set up between the Waikato River and a small lake.
General Cameron sent some of his forces to attack the pa from the rear, using ladders and two cannon. The river gunboats Avon and Pioneer were to bombard to pa from the river while his troops were driven from the trenches around the pa. The Maori were driven from the pa and many were killed as they tried to escape across the lake. The battle continued until the next morning when the Maori defenders surrendered. The British lost 37 but Maori losses totaled well over 200. There was a pause in hostilities for a while. General Cameron moved his troops and supply lines further south. On December 8 1863, Ngaruawahia, the capital of the Maori King was occupied without any fighting. Tauranga was also occupied to prevent supplies and reinforcements reaching the Waikato tribes.
On 21 March 1864 Cameron occupied Te Awamutu but the Ngati Maniapoto tribe was preparing to make a stand at a nearby pa called Orakau. Their pa was surrounded by March 30 and the troops began to advance. The 300 Maori defenders, who included a number of women, fought bravely under the command of their chief Rewi Maniapoto. They had been without food and water for almost three days and ammunition was also running low when General Cameron called upon them to surrender. Rewi replied the famous words:
'Ka whawhai tonu ake! Ake! Ake!
'We will fight on forever! Forever! Forever!'
General Cameron then offered to let the women leave the pa unharmed but they chose to remain with the men. Eventually they all left the pa in a rush and although many were killed, Rewi and about 150 of his followers managed to escape into the swamps.
The British were impressed with the Maori bravery.
Orakau was the last major battle of the Waikato war.
The entire Waikato lowlands were occupied and most of the Maori people were either killed or forced to retreat into the King Country.
Huge areas of land were confiscated which led to great hardship on the Waikato Maori and created bitterness that has lasted to this very day.
The Bay of Plenty
An important battle happened in the Bay of Plenty. The supporters of the King Movement had built a large pa near Tauranga which was given the name Gate Pa (the Battle of Gate Pa has instant name recognition in NZ, although many New Zealanders do not know much about these wars). About 250 Maori, including a number of women defended the pa. General Cameron attacked the pa with a force of almost 2000 troops and expected a quick engagement. The attack opened with a bombardment with large guns and as the pa's defences appeared to be chattered the soldiers made a charge. They came under heavy fire from the remaining defenders and were forced to retreat with heavy losses.
The Maori evacuated most of the pa, realising that the British would be back with reinforcements, taking many abandoned British weapons and suffering little loss while making their escape. The pa was taken eventually and the British went on to capture an unfinished pa at Te Ranga. With the help of the Arawa tribe from the Rotorua area the British eventually gained control of the Bay of Plenty and East Coast areas.
The Hau-hau
Hauhauism was a syncretic religion, which originated by the prophet Te Ua Haumene of the Taranaki tribe in 1862. It combined traditional Maori religion with Maori versions of Christianity and Te Ua's own inventions. Little is known about its development before April 1864 but from that date it spread rapidly across the country. The original form is believed to have died out as early as 1866 with the death of the founder, Pai Marire but related cults developed around leaders such as Hakaraia, Te Whiti O Rongomai, Titokowaru, Te Kooti and Tawhaio.
Until fairly recently, the religions were regarded as a bloodthirsty and militant belief that gave new savagery to Maori resistance. Many campaigns against the British in the period 1864-1888 were blamed on the religion. It was found however, that several incidents were against the Te Ua's wishes and the basic ideas of the religion.
There were hostilities between tribes though as some chiefs saw the religion as a threat to their power. Others encouraged it amongst their people. There were no set divisions and Kingites and ex-Kingites fought for and against it.
When the believers fought, they fought with great courage and boldness. They attacked both the soldiers and the settlers in the south Taranaki and Wanganui areas. Part of their religious belief was that if they shouted
'Pai Marire! Hau! Hau!'
they believed that bullets could not harm them.
The Hau-hau were not as courteous as other tribes in the Waikato area had been. They showed little mercy and even returned to cannibalism occasionally.
Prominent People
- Gustav Von Tempsky - Von Tempsky was born in Poland and trained in a Prussian military school before he left looking for a life of travel and adventure.
He first saw action on the Mosquito Coast of Central America where he learnt the art of jungle warfare. He later followed the gold trail of California, Australia and then New Zealand.
Von Tempsky was also an accomplished musician, artist and writer. He was not lucky in his golden quest and joined the "Southern Cross" newspaper as a journalist. On his first assignment he was to cover the Waikato war, but he decided that he would rather fight in the battles than write about them. So he joined the Forest Rangers and was given command of the Second Company. He served well at Orakau and was promoted to the rank of major.
After quarrelling with the authorities he resigned from the military and took up farming. The call of battle was too loud and he returned to service in 1868 when he took command of a unit of the armed constabulary who were fighting against Titokowaru's Hau-hau in Taranaki.
Unluckily the rangers were ambushed while covering a retreat from Titokowaru's pa. Von Tempsky was shot while attending an injured soldier. As a mark of respect, the Maori did not mutilate his body but burned it on a funeral pyre.
- Te Kooti - In 1865, a man called Te Kooti, who had fought on the government forces had been wrongly accused of treachery and without trial sent to the Chatham Islands along with a number of Hau-hau prisoners. While he was there he found a new religion, 'Ringatu' or the upraised hand and gained the loyalty of his fellow prisoners.
In 1868, Te Kooti and his followers overpowered the guards and captured the schooner the Rifleman. Only one of the guards were killed and the rest were left unharmed tied up. Te Kooti and his followers sailed back to Poverty Bay. After they arrived the Rifleman and her crew were allowed to sail away, while Te Kooti and his followers headed inland.
It was never known what Te Kooti's original plans were. Major Biggs, who had been responsible for Te Kooti's arrest, sent a message demanding that Te Kooti surrender. Not surprisingly, he didn't. His party was well armed and they set off for the far side of the Urewera Mountains. A force of Colonial soldiers and Maori supporters caught up with the party on the Ruakituri River. A battle took place in the thick bush in which a number were killed on both sides and Te Kooti was wounded.
He returned to Poverty Bay and attacked a settlement at Matawhero.
- Te Whiti - Another religious leader was Te Whiti-O-Rongomai who set up a village at Parihaka in south Taranaki. He believed that eventually the Pakeha would leave New Zealand. He and his followers adopted a policy of peaceful resistance to Pakeha laws and to the settlement of land that had been confiscated from its Maori owners.
For example they pulled out the surveyor's pegs and ploughed up fields without threatening any violence towards the settlers.
In November 1881, the government sent the militia to arrest Te Whiti and some of his followers. He was sent to jail for a year without being given a trial. When he was released he went back to Parihaka where he built a large village equipped with fresh water supplies and electricity. He continued his policy of passive resistance until his death in 1907.
- Wiremu Tamihana -Wiremu was born in about 1802 and named Tarapipipi. When he was baptised a Christian in 1939 he took on the name Wiremu Tamihana (William Thompson). From that time on he did not take part in any wars until the British invaded the Waikato in 1863. He acted as a peacemaker and diplomatic representative for his people.
Wiremu became convinced that the Maori needed their own king. He invited the warrior chief Te Wherowhero to return to the Waikato and become the first Maori King. At a meeting in Ngaruawahia in June 1858 called by Wiremu, Te Wherowhero was crowned king. Te Wherowhero took the name of Potatau.
Wiremu became one of the King's councilors. He also played a leading part in persuading a number of tribes to accept Te Wherowhero as their king. He continued to play a leading part in Maori politics until his death in 1866.
Effects of the New Zealand Wars.
The loss of life in the battles was not the most serious or lasting effect of the land wars on the Maori peoples. While the Taranaki and Waikato tribes suffered quite heavy losses, other tribal groups were relatively unaffected by the fighting.
It was the loss of land by conquest or confiscation and the consequent loss of mana, lifestyle and culture that had the most devastating and long-lasting effects.
Some tribes made peace with the Europeans after the wars and appeared to live in harmony with them but many of the Waikato people retreated to the King country where they continued to resist Pakeha culture and settlement for many years.
It was not until 1881 that King Tawhaio (the successor of Te Wherowhero) formally made peace and began to open up the area to settlers. There were also deep divisions between the tribes, some of whom had remained neutral or fought on the Pakeha side. In many ways the land wars were civil wars between Maori tribes and much of the rivalry and bitterness remained long after the battles were over.
Plans were made to confiscate the Maori land before the fighting was over. The New Zealand Settlement Act of 1863 provided for the confiscation of land from rebel Maori. 3215172 acres of land were confiscated in the Taranaki, Waikato, Bay of Plenty and East Coast districts, although a little of this land was later returned who were considered to be loyal Maori. The decisions about whose land should be confiscated and how much was very poorly judged. In some cases the land of Maori who had fought on the side of the Pakeha was confiscated by mistake while that of rebel Maori lands were spared.
In the Waikato and Bay of Plenty large areas of confiscated land were set aside for 'military settlements'. It was hopes that the troops would provide ongoing defences if further trouble broke out. These military settlements were not successful because much of the land was unsuitable for farming, and many of the soldiers had little or no experience and skill for farming.
The Native Land Act of 1862 bypassed the condition set out in the Treaty of Waitangi, which stated that Maori land could only be sold to the government. It made selling directly to settlers from Maori easier. This affected many parts of New Zealand that had not been involved in the wars. It was justified by the claim that it would enable Maori to obtain a better price for their land. In practice, however, it lead to many unjust purchases and false land claims.
Even if the Maori owners took a case to the Land Court and were successful with their case they often had to sell their land to pay for the court costs.
In reality the act was set up to destroy the tribal systems which slowed progress for the European settlements. Maori were to be assimilated.
There were many government initiatives that were designed to have a positive effect on Maori.
The Native Schools Act of 1867 provided for the establishment of Maori village schools.
The establishment of Residential Magistrates in Maori districts was intended to give more access to Pakeha laws.
There were also efforts to improve Maori health by providing financial assistance and medicines for Pakeha doctors working in Maori districts.
The people retained the rights and privileges of British subjects and New Zealand citizens granted to them by the Treaty of Waitangi. They were also spared much of the discrimination experienced by many of the other native peoples e.g. Aborigines and South Africans.
From 1867 onwards they were also represented in parliament by four members and all Maori men were allowed to vote at the same time.
All of these initiatives were intended to help the Maori people to assimilate into European culture. For a time the future of the Maori people and their culture seemed bleak. The population declined due to illness and high infant mortality rates and many Europeans thought of them as a dying race. The Maori people and culture did survive though and began to flourish again in the later part of the twentieth century.
How the British Maintained Control
The British maintained control by force. The British army stationed troops throughout the North Island, e.g. in Waikato and the Bay of Plenty, to keep control of any rebel Maori by catching a rebellion before it got too big.
A number of laws were passed to control Maori.
The British tried to cope with the Maori problem by assimilating them into European life and culture.
Maori strength declining, along with the population, provided less of a threat to the settlers.
Significance of the Land Wars
The New Zealand land wars were very significant because they were crucial in the development of race relations between Maori and Pakeha.
The confiscation left extreme bitterness towards the British and between tribes. Tribes who sided with the British were subject to serious hostilities by the rebel tribes.
Maori did secure some representation and power in government. The British held Maori in high regard because of their courage and skill so respect was gained.
Loss of land and mana put Maori on the bottom of heap financially. Their unemployment rates were much higher that the settlers. Poor housing and hygiene resulted in poor health and high infant mortality which took years to improve and is still below Europeans.
The land claims tribunal was overflowed with claims of unfair land confiscations and illegal and unfair land sales.
The Treaty of Waitangi caused many problems with the different interpretations and how they should be regarded in relation to the Maori punishment for the wars. The effects of this still being debated as I make this node, along with land claims.
The battles and results of the wars have caused bitterness that will continue to cause grief in the future.
It is of the utmost importance to give credit where it is due:
This node was a collaboration between friends.
To Kat2... without you, this node would not exist. For all your help (that word does not sum it up!), thank you!
I will try to find the sources used and add them in soon.