Māori Intertribal Wharekauri Conflict
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This was the conflict between the invading Ati Awa Māori tribes on Wharekauri (Māori name for Chatham Islands).[1] The war took place from 1840-1842. This conflict was one of the Musket Wars involving different tribes on what is now New Zealand. The invading tribes were the Ngati Mutunga and Ngati Tama.[2] It took place in the 1840s during the genocide and enslavement of the Moriori.
Causes[edit]
Before the tribes invaded the Chatham Islands they had an agreement where they would claim the lands when both arrive.[3] In 1835 the Ngati Tama arrive first. They claimed the best lands before the Ngati Mutunga arrived. These lands were Waitangi and Kaingaroa.
The Ngati Mutunga were jealous of them.[4] They didn't have access to trade with whalers. They also couldn't reach particular important seafood areas.
In 1836 a French whaling ship Jean Bart entered the Waitangi Bay. Māori visitors came aboard the ship from both tribes. Accounts of what happen fully are "confusing" and vary. It was sanked due to French panic in fact and not Maori attacks. The Ngati Mutunga were falsely accused of seizing the ship. Ngati Tama were not as strong as they were after the assault from the French warship Cécille.[5][6] The Ngati Mutunga leader Wiremu Piti Pōmare (?-1851) saw the weakened Ngati Tama as an opportunity to claim Waitangi.
War[edit]
This war took place over a short period of time. The conflict started in 1840 but peace soon came 1842. This battle involve the usage of muskets.[7] During the war restraint appeared to be shown due to both sides having relatives on the opposing side.
First Battle[edit]
In 1840 a party of Ngati Mutunga was gather to drive out the Ngati Tama from Waitangi. This party was led by subchief Tauru Matioro aka Matioro.[8] Their target was the Kaimataotao pā (fortified refuge or settlement). It was an entrance to the Waitangi. They setup an entrenchment before firing upon the Ngati Tama in Kaimataotao pa. The pa of both groups had modernizations due to muskets being added to Māori warfare.[9] Te Ahipaura, the first born son of a leading matuas (old men) of Ngati Mutunga was shot dead during this battle. A Ngati Tama named Toko was killed. This made the Ngati Mutunga even more interested in driving out the Ngati Tama.[10] This led to a siege. After food started to get low the Ngati Tama realize they couldn't outlast them.[clarification needed]
Neutrality[edit]
Kekerewai were group that consisted of those allied with the Ngati Tama however they were mainly a Ngati Mutunga hapu (clan). After the first battle the Kekerewai allied with the Ngati Tama were neutral during the conflict with the possible exception of their leader Raumoa who was related to Te Ahipaura's father and consider Te Ahipaura his son due to kinship.[11] The reason(s) for this decision are not known. It should be stated that both tribes were related to each other.
Peace Attempt[edit]
In May 1840 a crew from a ship named Cuba tried to end the conflict. They were a survey ship from a company called New Zealand Company. They succeeded in preventing big Ngati Tama casualties. The company wanted owners to deal with. They thought the conflict would annihilate the Ngati Tama. The people wanted to be able to buy Chatham Islands.
Kidnapping[edit]
Late in 1840 the Ngati Tama as well as their allies moved to Waikeri. A group of Ngati Mutunga went after then and laid a trap. As a result Ngati Tama Pohitaka was taken captive by Ngati Mutunga. He was the younger brother of Ngati Tama leader Wiremu Kingi Meremere. Pohitaka was killed with a tomahawk by a Ngati Mutunga named Tangari Te Umu as revenge for Ahipaura.
Second Battle[edit]
A party of Ngati Mutunga led by a man named Tatua fought a Ngati Tama party led by Meremere which resulted in one being injured and two being killed on the Mutunga side as well as one being injured on the Tama side. Peace was proclaimed between the two groups after this.
End of Conflict[edit]
What contributed to the end of this conflict late in 1842 was the conversion of individuals from both groups to the Church of England. A group of missionaries from the Church came to the area and converted many of the individuals as well as others to the faith. These missionaries were Wiremu Tamihana Te Neke, Hakaria Te Iwikaha, and Pita Hongihongi. Ngati Mutunga won at the end of this conflict. The Ngati Tama went back to their homeland.
Participants[edit]
This conflict involved members from Ngati Tama and Ngati Mutunga. This conflict involved not only warriors but also leaders from the iwis.
Ngati Mutunga[edit]
Tauru Matioro led a group of Māori warriors from the Ngati Mutunga in 1840 in the first battle with the Ngati Tama.
Ngati Tama[edit]
Meremere led a party of them in the second battle against a Ngati Mutunga party led by Meremere.
Weapons[edit]
Pū (musket) was the primary weapon used in this conflict.[12] A tomahawk was used after the kidnapping of Pohitaka.
References[edit]
- ↑ Davis, Denise and Solomon, Maui. Ngāti Tama and Ngāti Mutunga pā. Te Ara Enyclopedia. https://teara.govt.nz/en/artwork/1689/ngati-tama-and-ngati-mutunga-pa Accessed 21 March 2024.
- ↑ Shand, A. “THE OCCUPATION OF THE CHATHAM ISLANDS BY THE MAORIS IN 1835. PART II.—THE MIGRATION OF NGATIAWA TO CHATHAM ISLAND.” The Journal of the Polynesian Society, vol. 1, no. 3, 1892, pp. 154–63. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/20701251. Accessed 22 Mar. 2024.
- ↑ "Rekohu Report (2016)" Ministry of Justice. https://forms.justice.govt.nz/search/Documents/WT/wt_DOC_68595363/Rekohu%20Report%202016%20Reprint.pdf
- ↑ King, Michael (2000). Moriori: A People Rediscovered (Revised ed.). Penguin Random House New Zealand. p. 69. Search this book on
- ↑ Angela Ballara. 'Pōmare, Wiremu Piti', Dictionary of New Zealand Biography, first published in 1990. Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/1p22/pomare-wiremu-piti (accessed 22 March 2024)
- ↑ Shand, A. “THE OCCUPATION OF THE CHATHAM ISLANDS BY THE MAORIS IN 1835. PART II.—THE MIGRATION OF NGATIAWA TO CHATHAM ISLAND.” The Journal of the Polynesian Society, vol. 1, no. 3, 1892, pp. 154–63. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/20701251. Accessed 22 Mar. 2024.
- ↑ Basil Keane, 'Musket wars - Ngāti Toa and allies', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/musket-wars/page-5 (accessed 22 March 2024)
- ↑ "Search the Fletcher Index - The Library: University of Waikato". www.waikato.ac.nz. Retrieved 2024-03-22.
- ↑ Basil Keane, 'Musket wars - Acquisition and use of muskets', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/artwork/38080/kaimataotao-pa (accessed 23 March 2024)
- ↑ Shand, A. “THE OCCUPATION OF THE CHATHAM ISLANDS BY THE MAORIS IN 1835. PART IV.—INTERTRIBAL DISSENSIONS.” The Journal of the Polynesian Society, vol. 2, no. 2, 1893, pp. 74–86. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/20701278. Accessed 22 Mar. 2024.
- ↑ "Wai 64, F005" Ministry of Justice. https://forms.justice.govt.nz/search/Documents/WT/wt_DOC_94018459/Wai%2064%2C%20F005.pdf Accessed 22 March 2024.
- ↑ Basil Keane, 'Musket wars - Acquisition and use of muskets', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/artwork/38079/haka-with-muskets (accessed 24 October 2024)
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