Maori and settler Museum New Zealand

Māori and Settler Museum

The relevance of the Māori, (interpreted: normal or local), to the Natural Heritage Collection, is that Māori used our natural heritage, and nothing else, to survive. They gave our species and places names in the process. Their wealth of knowledge developed and passed down over the centuries is of cultural and general interest value. The old Māori photos from the 1800s linked to this page are interesting, considering the photos were taken only decades after European settlement. Axes, blankets, guns and pipes feature in the photographs. These were traded for the likes of flax (Harakeke) being New Zealand's major export at the time, to make rope.

The word Tiki was sun god to South Americans, first person to Maori, and the carvings look very similar. The word for kumera, the staple vegetable of the New Zealand Māori, was the same in South America as were a number of other words. This supports theories of ancient ocean travel and reliable oral history to some extent. Austronesian was the largest language family in the world with 1000 - 1200 languages.

It is accepted that the Polynesian was the most experienced open water navigator a millennium ago, able to navigate vast expanses of open ocean between small islands that disappear behind the curve of the earth - at a short distance. Celestial navigation was used and signs such as the form of waves refracting from land, species that return to land at dusk, material in the currents, and cloud formations typical of land, all enabled the navigator to hone into his target once close. The return of the Shining cuckoo, Chrysococcyx lucidas, from New Zealand to the Pacific island would have indicated New Zealand's presence. Navigators where highly respected in their community. It may be reasonable to assume that New Zealand was first named by a navigator of about 1300 AD. Did he follow the stars home, describe the sea path to his apprentice navigators who returned? Was that first voyage establishing the sea path made long before settlement? It is now believe the great fleet theory is wrong and that many landings were made. Advances in carbon dating bring the settlement date to about 1300 AD. This ties in with oral history of genealogy. The nature of celestial navigation indicates perhaps that departure may have been from a single area or there would have had to be several navigational routes, which seems less likely than just one being established. A few degrees out over such distance and one would end up in Antarctica. That ongoing immigration ceased suggests perhaps that they all came or that the route was lost - to those left behind. Perhaps the last one holding the information failed to pass the 'sea path' on.

Correction notices to web@nhc.net.nz.

Abel Tasman's first diary entry, 13 December 1642, off the South Island's west coast, where the alps run close to the shore was, 'Groot Hooch Verheven Landt' (a large land uplifted high). Its first official Dutch name given was 'Staten Landt' (state land).

Hei- Tiki (very old)

The segments charted were then called Nieuw Zeeland at a later date on charts. New Zealand's namesake is from an office of the East India Company. Captain James Cook, who completed the first whole chart of Aotearoa - Anglicised the name to New Zealand. Note his chart below shows Banks Peninsula as an island.

Captain Cook's Map

Able Tasman's map

The first passage over the Southern Alps was by a Māori woman Raureka (sweet leaf), accompanied by her slave, after a fallout with her family in the mid to late 1600s. She was a chieftainess of the Ngati Wairangi tribe. After the crossing of the alps in mid summer, in flax shoes, they meet Ngai Tahu at about were Geradine now is, exhausted and nearly staving. She told them of the West Coast greenstone (perhaps a life saver as she knew the way), and showed them her greenstone axe. She later hitched up with the warrior that sneaked off with her to the western side, beating his mates to the fame of collecting the greenstone first. This is the start of Ngai Tahu greenstone missions to the West Coast in which Browning's Pass was used. It ended in the demise of her people. Well that's one version of the story anyway. That route starting in the area of Lake Kaniere on the western side is still used by trampers to traverses the alps to this day and her name is recorded on contemporary maps.

Correction notices to web@nhc.net.nz.

Tiki

The Treaty of Waitangi

HER MAJESTY VICTORIA Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland regarding with Her Royal Favour the Native Chiefs and Tribes of New Zealand and anxious to protect their just Rights and Property and to secure to them the enjoyment of Peace and Good Order has deemed it necessary in consequence of the great number of Her Majesty's Subjects who have already settled in New Zealand and the rapid extension of Emigration both from Europe and Australia which is still in progress to constitute and appoint a functionary properly authorised to treat with the Aborigines of New Zealand for the recognition of Her Majesty's Sovereign authority over the whole or any part of those islands – Her Majesty therefore being desirous to establish a settled form of Civil Government with a view to avert the evil consequences which must result from the absence of the necessary Laws and Institutions alike to the native population and to Her subjects has been graciously pleased to empower and to authorise me William Hobson a Captain in Her Majesty's Royal Navy Consul and Lieutenant-Governor of such parts of New Zealand as may be or hereafter shall be ceded to her Majesty to invite the confederated and independent Chiefs of New Zealand to concur in the following Articles and Conditions.
Article the first [Article 1]

The Chiefs of the Confederation of the United Tribes of New Zealand and the separate and independent Chiefs who have not become members of the Confederation cede to Her Majesty the Queen of England absolutely and without reservation all the rights and powers of Sovereignty which the said Confederation or Individual Chiefs respectively exercise or possess, or may be supposed to exercise or to possess over their respective Territories as the sole sovereigns thereof.
Article the second [Article 2]

Her Majesty the Queen of England confirms and guarantees to the Chiefs and Tribes of New Zealand and to the respective families and individuals thereof the full exclusive and undisturbed possession of their Lands and Estates Forests Fisheries and other properties which they may collectively or individually possess so long as it is their wish and desire to retain the same in their possession; but the Chiefs of the United Tribes and the individual Chiefs yield to Her Majesty the exclusive right of Preemption over such lands as the proprietors thereof may be disposed to alienate at such prices as may be agreed upon between the respective Proprietors and persons appointed by Her Majesty to treat with them in that behalf.
Article the third [Article 3]

In consideration thereof Her Majesty the Queen of England extends to the Natives of New Zealand Her royal protection and imparts to them all the Rights and Privileges of British Subjects.

(signed) William Hobson, Lieutenant-Governor.

Now therefore We the Chiefs of the Confederation of the United Tribes of New Zealand being assembled in Congress at Victoria in Waitangi and We the Separate and Independent Chiefs of New Zealand claiming authority over the Tribes and Territories which are specified after our respective names, having been made fully to understand the Provisions of the foregoing Treaty, accept and enter into the same in the full spirit and meaning thereof in witness of which we have attached our signatures or marks at the places and the dates respectively specified. Done at Waitangi this Sixth day of February in the year of Our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty.