Post by Kiwi Frontline on Mar 15, 2021 10:30:39 GMT 12
AN OPEN LETTER TO BISHOP STEPHEN LOWE
Dear Bishop Stephen Lowe,
I wish to take issue with several of your comments as published in the NZ Catholic 12 March 2021, Michael Otto refers to your Sermon at Rangiaowhia near Te Awamutu on February 21 where you allude to a so-called massacre of Māori by British forces in 1864 at Rangiaowhia,
You say “Rangiaowhia had been designated as a safe place for the women and for the children”, while this may be so, however these people were supplying Maori rebels with food supplies and at the time of the incident there were firearms and warriors present.
It appears you are not aware of the writings of the late military chaplain, Frank Glen, in his 2011 book "Australians at war in New Zealand", ISBN 978-1-8774-739-8, though rather skimpy on some detail, wrote: "[General]Cameron, with commendable humanitarianism (bold emphasis mine) wanted to avoid a set piece military confrontation because the likely casualties such a battle would engender would be severe on both sides. ... he planned a surprise attack ... and, with minimal loss of life, he captured Rangiaohai [sic] settlement." That of course cut of the rebels' primary food supply.
You said “people were killed.” - The inhabitants were directed to peacefully surrender, that they did not is not a reflection on General Cameron and his troops. From recorded accounts by those that were there on that fateful day, many surrendered and left the scene and the only deaths were in or around a large whare that had a sunken floor, described by the soldiers as a gun pit. A soldier entered the whare inviting the occupants to surrender. He was shot dead at point blank range. Within minutes 5 soldiers and 10 Māori were dead with another 2 Maori later losing their lives, hardly a massacre as you allege. No woman or children were killed so I am unsure where your informants get their ‘more than a hundred deaths’ from.
Further, from my information it seems only the whare of the above incident was burnt, possibly caused by the burning wading of the occupant’s muskets, I have not seen any record of other houses being burnt or woman being raped on that day as you sermonised?
Rebel tribes were forewarned that their land would be legally confiscated, under the NZ Settlements Act 1863, if they took up arms against the Queen/Crown. Their rebellion was a breach of the Treaty and a threat to peace for both law-abiding settlers and Maori.
In closing, before committing yourself, I would have expected someone in your position to have extensively researched the sermon topic, this would have enabled you to pay more respect to the truth than you appear to have done.
Geoff Parker
Whangarei
Bishop Lowe’s Rangiaowhia sermon here > nzcatholic.org.nz/2021/03/12/prayers-at-site-of-1864-massacre/
Dear Bishop Stephen Lowe,
I wish to take issue with several of your comments as published in the NZ Catholic 12 March 2021, Michael Otto refers to your Sermon at Rangiaowhia near Te Awamutu on February 21 where you allude to a so-called massacre of Māori by British forces in 1864 at Rangiaowhia,
You say “Rangiaowhia had been designated as a safe place for the women and for the children”, while this may be so, however these people were supplying Maori rebels with food supplies and at the time of the incident there were firearms and warriors present.
It appears you are not aware of the writings of the late military chaplain, Frank Glen, in his 2011 book "Australians at war in New Zealand", ISBN 978-1-8774-739-8, though rather skimpy on some detail, wrote: "[General]Cameron, with commendable humanitarianism (bold emphasis mine) wanted to avoid a set piece military confrontation because the likely casualties such a battle would engender would be severe on both sides. ... he planned a surprise attack ... and, with minimal loss of life, he captured Rangiaohai [sic] settlement." That of course cut of the rebels' primary food supply.
You said “people were killed.” - The inhabitants were directed to peacefully surrender, that they did not is not a reflection on General Cameron and his troops. From recorded accounts by those that were there on that fateful day, many surrendered and left the scene and the only deaths were in or around a large whare that had a sunken floor, described by the soldiers as a gun pit. A soldier entered the whare inviting the occupants to surrender. He was shot dead at point blank range. Within minutes 5 soldiers and 10 Māori were dead with another 2 Maori later losing their lives, hardly a massacre as you allege. No woman or children were killed so I am unsure where your informants get their ‘more than a hundred deaths’ from.
Further, from my information it seems only the whare of the above incident was burnt, possibly caused by the burning wading of the occupant’s muskets, I have not seen any record of other houses being burnt or woman being raped on that day as you sermonised?
Rebel tribes were forewarned that their land would be legally confiscated, under the NZ Settlements Act 1863, if they took up arms against the Queen/Crown. Their rebellion was a breach of the Treaty and a threat to peace for both law-abiding settlers and Maori.
In closing, before committing yourself, I would have expected someone in your position to have extensively researched the sermon topic, this would have enabled you to pay more respect to the truth than you appear to have done.
Geoff Parker
Whangarei
Bishop Lowe’s Rangiaowhia sermon here > nzcatholic.org.nz/2021/03/12/prayers-at-site-of-1864-massacre/