Post by Kiwi Frontline on Oct 19, 2016 5:41:57 GMT 12
Dominion Post 19/10/16
UNBALANCED ACCOUNT
Vincent O'Malley (The war that history forgot, October 15) is not an objective historian. Remember that there was a rebellion of Waikato tribes, not a war, and Governor Grey was fully entitled to take strong measures to quell it.
To minimise casualties, General Cameron planned a surprise attack to take Rangiaowhia, food-basket of the rebel fort at Paterangi.
At chief Hoani's whare, some left peacefully when called on to surrender, but Hoani shot Sergeant McHale and a skirmish began in which Colonel Nixon was killed and the whare burned. When all was lost, Hoani emerged and was killed in the hail of bullets. Whose fault was that?
And no churches were burned either.
Remember the Ngati Maniapoto challenge to the troops at Orakau that they would never surrender? It would have been wiser if they had, instead of rousing the troops to a point where they showed little mercy to those who fled.
Recall too the Ngati Maniapoto raiders who shot missionary Whiteley at Whitecliffs, having butchered a family of five and two unarmed men walking on the beach.
O'Malley does us no service in arousing passions with inaccurate and unbalanced accounts of events which should be left quietly to subside into history.
BRUCE MOON
Nelson
Bay of Plenty Times 19/10/16
LUCKY COLONY
Your correspondent Huikakahu Kawe (Letters, October 14) comments that indigenous people of colonised lands are now the commoners and the descendants of the colonisers hold much of the wealth.
We all have equal opportunities in education which is surely the key to a successful life, and Maori have as much opportunity as the rest of us.
Life for pre-colonisation Maori was short, harsh and brutal. The arrival of the missionaries brought an end to centuries of inter-tribal warfare, cannibalism and slavery.
It brought Maori better housing, food, hygiene, medical care, transport, clothing.
(Abridged.)
R B
Tauranga
UNBALANCED ACCOUNT
Vincent O'Malley (The war that history forgot, October 15) is not an objective historian. Remember that there was a rebellion of Waikato tribes, not a war, and Governor Grey was fully entitled to take strong measures to quell it.
To minimise casualties, General Cameron planned a surprise attack to take Rangiaowhia, food-basket of the rebel fort at Paterangi.
At chief Hoani's whare, some left peacefully when called on to surrender, but Hoani shot Sergeant McHale and a skirmish began in which Colonel Nixon was killed and the whare burned. When all was lost, Hoani emerged and was killed in the hail of bullets. Whose fault was that?
And no churches were burned either.
Remember the Ngati Maniapoto challenge to the troops at Orakau that they would never surrender? It would have been wiser if they had, instead of rousing the troops to a point where they showed little mercy to those who fled.
Recall too the Ngati Maniapoto raiders who shot missionary Whiteley at Whitecliffs, having butchered a family of five and two unarmed men walking on the beach.
O'Malley does us no service in arousing passions with inaccurate and unbalanced accounts of events which should be left quietly to subside into history.
BRUCE MOON
Nelson
Bay of Plenty Times 19/10/16
LUCKY COLONY
Your correspondent Huikakahu Kawe (Letters, October 14) comments that indigenous people of colonised lands are now the commoners and the descendants of the colonisers hold much of the wealth.
We all have equal opportunities in education which is surely the key to a successful life, and Maori have as much opportunity as the rest of us.
Life for pre-colonisation Maori was short, harsh and brutal. The arrival of the missionaries brought an end to centuries of inter-tribal warfare, cannibalism and slavery.
It brought Maori better housing, food, hygiene, medical care, transport, clothing.
(Abridged.)
R B
Tauranga