What can we learn from the October 1769 meetings?

AMITY AT UAWA: A two-sailed waka can be seen through the arched hole in the rock at Oputama/Cook’s Cove, Uawa, in Herman Diedrich Sporing’s 1733-1771 engraving. In the foreground, two Europeans talk with a Maori man while another man appears to look up into the trees. “A larger view (by another artist) of that celebrated curiosity, the perforated rock in Tolaga Bay, in New Zealand,” reads the inscription at the bottom of the print. Hand-coloured engraving by Herman Diedrich Sporing, B-098-024, courtesy of Alexander Turnbull Library

The question posed for discussion at this year’s First Meetings Korero held on Sunday was “What can we learn from the October 1769 meetings?” Hosted by Historic Places Tairawhiti Inc, the theme sparked a wide range of responses from nine speakers. Mark Peters reports . . .

When we look back at events such as the first meetings between Maori and Europeans with the arrival of explorer James Cook and his crew in October 1769, we see them with a clouded viewpoint and often from a modern context, said Historic Places Tairawhiti Inc chairman James Blackburne at the First Meetings Korero last Sunday.

Some of those events were written down, some were recorded second-hand. They were also passed down orally.

“With this comes other scenarios of interpretation as the events become second and third-hand.”

Because we would never know truly what happened, it was important for people to place themselves in the shoes of those involved, he said.

“It is not for us to judge whether their actions were justified based on current cultural or personal norms.”

What we could consider was that Turanganui iwi were in conflict with each other, HMS Endeavour’s crew were 12,000 miles from England, and that one mistake could mean the death of the whole crew.

The first fatality after Cook and crew members made landfall was the shooting of Oneone man Te Maro who was killed after two warning musket shots. Te Maro was seen as about to “dart his spear at the boat”, a small, two-masted vessel crew members on the beach ran back to when Te Maro and three other men approached them.

From the pinnace, another small boat used to transport people and/or supplies to and from shore or another ship, the coxswain’s third shot felled Te Maro.

“In the same situation as the coxswain, would you have done anything differently?” asked Mr Blackburne.

“Similarly, did Te Maro do nothing out of the ordinary based on his knowledge, culture and position within his whanau? Whether he was performing a wero (ritual challenge) or confronting the unknown on his turangawaewae, we will never know.”

In regards to the second day of Cook’s visit, October 9, when Rongowhakaata warriors crossed the river to encounter the crew members and Tahitian navigator Tupaia, Mr Blackburne asked “What would you do if surrounded by a large group of people you felt were becoming menacing and you were concerned for your safety?”

In reference to later fatalities on the water, Mr Blackburne said: “I have struggled to place myself in the shoes of those involved in the shooting of the boys in the waka.

“Why did the boys not stop when spoken to by Tupaia? Why did the crew of the Endeavour fire on them to try to scare them to stop, and fire again when the boys started throwing things at them?”

These events were likely to remain a challenge for us all today as much as they were in 1769, he said.

Only one story taught, glorifiedJudy Campbell

Former Gisborne District Council chief executive Judy Campbell addressed the theme from the standpoint of her long bid to develop a bicultural understanding of what it means to be a New Zealander.

She talked about her “personal journey”.

“I grew up in Mosgiel where I learned to sing Scotland the Brave like it was the national anthem.”

She could recite the Tudor kings but knew nothing about New Zealand history, she said.

Her bicultural journey started in the 1980s with an epiphany she had while on her OE in London. After joining in a haka at a pub, she later felt like a hypocrite.

“I knew nothing about this stuff.”

On returning to New Zealand she took every opportunity she could to learn about Maori tikanga and the Treaty of Waitangi.

She cited a comment she had seen online that focused entirely on Cook’s experience of his encounters with Maori in those first few days. Te Maro was not mentioned in the brief account. But he was of chieftan status, she said. He graduated from a wananga on Kaiti Hill and was a horticulturalist. The image of Cook was that of a great man, but Te Maro had greatness too.

Mrs Campbell wanted to focus on the word “can”, she said.

“ ‘Can’ is a future-focused word. If we can look honestly at the encounters we can move forward.

“Whatever happened in 1769, we are entangled.”

Steve Gibbs

Toihoukura associate professor Steve Gibbs also talked about his awakening from the Eurocentric focus on Cook, particularly during the 1969 bicentennial celebrations of the explorer’s arrival. It was not until he was at art school seven years later where he saw a painting of three hoe, waka paddles, by HMS Endeavour’s on-board artist Sydney Parkinson, that he noticed the designs on them were the same as those he had seen in the kowhaiwhai patterns in his tribal meeting houses at Muriwai and Manutuke. Mr Gibbs eventually came to understand that people needed to start listening to another voice, that of the indigenous people of New Zealand.

“After 249 years we have a voice but we’re told here’s a timeline — you have a year.”

Mr Gibbs’ PhD study is around taonga such as the hoe and cloak traded with Endeavour crew, or gifted to Tahitian navigator Tupaia, and taken to England. The taonga have been stored in museums ever since. He talked about the exchange of blue glass beads and nails for taonga.

At 3pm on October 12, 1769, the ship was becalmed off Whareongaonga. Six waka paddled out to the ship and another, with the man believed to have shared a hongi with Cook on October 9, came from Turanga. The man brought with him the three hoe.

These, along with another 15 hoe, a cloak, fish hooks and implements from the other waka were also exchanged.

“This was the first major peaceful encounter with the crew of the Endeavour and Maori.”

The exchange off Whareongaonga could have been the first acknowledgement of tohunga (high priest) Tupaia. But only recently has Tupaia been restored to the narrative.

“This is part of the colonisation process. This process happened around the globe. We are still in a colonising state. Maori have always been written about. Now it’s time to tell our own stories.”

Laurie Harrison

What were some of the responses to prevailing 19th century attitudes, asked Gisborne Girls’ High School history and social science teacher Laurie Harrison in his talk.

Nineteenth century politician Dr Isaac Featherston was of the opinion that it was the duty of the Pakeha to engage in “smoothing the pillow of a dying race”.

“The Maori population was dying through musket wars and lack of immunity to diseases. They had no idea Edward Wakefield was going to colonise New Zealand in great numbers.”

If Cook had not arrived, what other colonisers would have come and what would have happened? asked Mr Harrison.

There have been success stories for Maori over the past 249 years, he said.

Kura kaupapa Maori was the success story of Maori education, he said, then asked why the majority of parents of Maori children still put them in mainstream education? He also cited the success of Ngakau Toa troupe’s performance in te reo Maori of Shakespeare’s tragedy Troilus and Cressida at London’s Globe Theatre, and the reintroduction of waka ama which was now New Zealand’s fastest growing sport.

How do we fare now? asked Mr Harrison.

Waikato business leader Sir William Gallagher, whose name appears on the Waikato rugby jersey, said the Treaty of Waitangi was a fraud; Don Brash was a worry; and at the other end of the spectrum, Hone Harawira once said he would not be happy if one of his kids dated a Pakeha.

“I’m giving him a ‘not-achieved’,” said Mr Harrison.

Holly Hope

Year 13 Gisborne Girls’ High School student Holly Hope also summarised the events of first contact between Cook’s crew and the four men, including Te Maro, who approached boys from the ship as they played on the beach. The leader of the four men lifted his “lance” in preparation to hurl it but was fatally shot, said Holly.

“According to historian Anne Salmond this meeting was probably intended as a ritual challenge rather than an ambush.

“In traditional times one form of ceremonial challenge was to send a warrior to throw a spear towards an approaching group of strangers.”

In more recent times, this has been muted to a display of weapon handling, said Holly.

This first encounter between Cook’s men and Maori shows the two peoples were from two different worlds.

“The Europeans came from a more developed world where ideals such as the Age of Enlightenment were taking place.”

This challenged traditional systems with the belief humanity could be improved with rational change.

There was much more to New Zealand history than any one of us can know, she said. Only through a willingness to learn from the past and understanding of each other could we start to appreciate our shared heritage together, she said.

Rongonui-Atea Kahurangi

Only one story about first encounters between Maori, Cook and his men was taught, glorified, and held the most validity for the past 249 years, said Gisborne Boys’ High School Year 13 student Rongonui-Atea Kahurangi.

“What about the perspective of Maori?” he asked.

“How many people in our region know the name of Te Maro and know his story?”

Little work has been done to convey the stories of Te Maro, or Te Rakau of Rongowhakaata, who was also shot, he said.

“Their stories, their motivations and their mana has consequently been written out of history.

“The only way to find any substantial knowledge on the ‘nameless warriors’ would be to talk to Rongowhakaata, but this orally transmitted account on history is the alleged reason why New Zealand historians rendered the Maori perspective invalid.”

Rongonui-Atea acknowledged exploration and the meeting of cultures would have happened whether Cook or another European was involved. Criticising the man or the mission was counterproductive to the narrative, said Rongonui-Atea.

Telling the shared story of our history, with everyone at the table, would enable “a rendition of local history that teaches our young people that Cook and Te Maro were human — not perfect, not saints — rather two men of mana within their own cultures who both believed in their missions.”

Rongonui-Atea was also keen to see whakairo (carvings) on Titirangi with the stories of Maori leaders such as Kiwa, Te Maro or Paoa translated on to a plaque.

“This could be complemented with a representation of Cook again with the whakairo of Pakeha stories. With this in place we can commemorate rather than celebrate the coming together of Maori and Pakeha for the first time.”

Anne McGuire

Unable to make a full-scale landing at Anaura Bay on October 21, 1769, Cook sailed back to Uawa-Tolaga Bay in search of provisions, said sociologist Anne McGuire.

“Instead of a challenge, people sent out waka to bring the Endeavour in to land. Those first meetings were friendly,” she said.

“Years later people didn’t know who Cook was. We all knew who Tupaia was. Our oral history tells us he was treated like a king.”

Tupaia told Uawa people he needed a bath and that sailors on the Endeavour were dirty and never bathed. A trench was dug and filled with water for the Tahitian navigator and high priest to bathe in.

Uawa-Tolaga Bay’s people were a “knowledge people” which was why Cook’s visit was successful, she said.

“If Pakeha had listened to our people they would have learned about land and water pollution and forestry slash. It was about knowing and looking after the whenua and waterways.

“If they had listened we would not be going through climate change and the other things we are experiencing.”

Tapunga Nepe

Tairawhiti Museum kaitiaki Maori Tapunga Nepe opened his talk with a lullaby in te reo.

“Did you hear Cook’s name mentioned?” he asked.

“Cook was never talked about on our marae and kura kohanga. Stories we learned were about Kiwa and Pawa.

“Our generation today are the peacemakers of a connection through our whakapapa. The whakapapa for this is with William Brown, the ‘runaway sailor’, who became known as Kahutia’s Pakeha. Kahutia introduced him to his niece, Hine Whati-o-te-Rangi, who became an aunt to Heni Materoa, Lady Carroll.

“Our history is difficult. It’s about knowing both sides of the story. That was taught to me by Heni Materoa Sunderland.”

Are blue beads and nails all Maori got from contact with Cook? he asked.

“James Blackburne talked about spear throwing. We have taiaha, not spears. We have respect for our opponent. We face them face to face.

“Spear throwing is not in our culture.”

Rehette Stoltz

Gisborne District Council deputy mayor Rehette Stoltz shared thoughts about personal learnings about the first meetings between Maori and Cook.

“I’ve always been interested in history and until this year would have said I had a good understanding of those first meetings.”

She focused on four principles in her talk,

A year-long wananga-led tikanga course introduced her to a new world and learning, she said. “Traditions and customs that had baffled me make sense. I’m still in kindergarten in my tikanga learning journey.”

Two: Listen to understand, not to answer.

“When I listen I find myself constructing an answer while they’re still talking. I learned to stop and listen.”

Her third principle was “it should not be my way or the highway”, she said.

“I like to be right, but we learn to grow when we acknowledge differences.”

Her final axiom was “learn to look to the future”.

“How can we weave our values together to make a future to make our children and grandchildren proud?”

MC of the event Joe Martin, a Te Ha 2019 Sestercentennial trustee and history enthusiast with a particular interest in the voyages of James Cook and the first meetings between Maori and Europeans, had the last word with sound advice.

“Read, read, read.”