Post by Kiwi Frontline on Nov 8, 2016 6:39:17 GMT 12
Waikato Times 8/11/16
STRANGE TIMES
A certain amount of newspaper weirdness is highly desirable to boost sales and enliven the day. The Times excelled with two recent articles.
The first was the report on the Matariki protest at a marae in Taranaki. Taranaki is one of the wettest areas in New Zealand and stars are normally obscured by cloud or rain all through winter. I don’t think a few wispy smoke plumes 5km away will make much difference to the marae’s celebrations. The idea of Matariki as a planting time is highly dubious.
Good luck to anyone trying to plant kumara in Taranaki in June! Most authentic accounts talk of winter as a time of death. Traditional Maori foods were not planted in mid winter as they were of sub tropical origin.
The second beauty was the report of October 28 being chosen as the date to commemorate the Waikato Wars. The signing of the Declaration of Independence in Northland was a minor, local, Ngapuhi affair concerned with keeping Baron de Thierry from becoming ‘‘king of the Bay of Islands’’ – nothing to do with Waikato or any war. It was superseded by the Treaty of Waitangi. It took place in 1835– 27 years prior to the Waikato Wars.
A more weird date would be hard to find!
M L
Hamilton
The article relating to Matariki is here > www.stuff.co.nz/business/80926549/kahotea-marae-opposed-to-nova-gasfired-power-plant
Northland Age 8/11/16
THE REAL AGENDA
One would have to be very naive to accept the real purpose of the proposed commemoration of the Land Wars. A likely result may be more spurious claims of tribal land confiscations, resulting in more Waitangi Tribunal-sponsored settlements.
Te Ururoa Flavell should consider that those who died during the entire military engagements, 190 deaths the most in a single battle, fell well short of the thousands slaughtered by Hongi Hika or Te Rauparaha in a single raid on other tribes. The over 40,000 who died in the internecine battles of the Musket Wars apparently deserve no mention.
Our school children deserve to be taught the true, verifiable facts of our history and not the ethnically-biased versions presented by teachers who betray their professional and ethical trust by introducing personal politics into their classrooms.
Where does honest revision and reflection on our history begin? Are the murderous actions of Mr Flavell's Ngapuhi forebears not deserving of commemorating?
B J
Omokoroa
Northern Advocate 8/11/16 (Also in Northland Age 8/11/16)
TE TIRITI
I followed with interested the exchange of views re the Treaty of Waitangi in Letters recently.
The true treaty is Te Tiriti o Waitangi, written in te reo. No other document is the treaty. This document contained the words that were written and that were spoken to the people of New Zealand in February of 1840 and the preceding months. It is this document that contains the marks or signatures of those who became a party to it.
Yes, we all know that Maunsell used an English version at Waikato, penned by James Freeman, to receive some signatures that wouldn't fit on the official te reo document. But we also know the vast majority of signatories to the actual treaty, Te Tiriti o Waitangi, did not speak or understand English in 1840. So any English 'version' written by Freeman is irrelevant, as it was not the document that was read to the people.
It is nothing short of criminal that the government have elevated the Freeman document and sat it alongside the official and signed document.
M L
Te Puke
Taranaki Daily News 8/11/16
PARIHAKA AND PEACE
The peaceful greeting of the Armed Constabulary was inevitable due to the decision to present in overwhelming numbers. Had half a dozen constables turned up to arrest Te Whiti and Tohu the outcome may not have been peaceful.
When Te Whiti was starting to talk of peaceful coexistence with Pakeha his fellow Atiawa were still holding the rapidly diminishing remnants of the Moriori in abject slavery on the Chatham islands.
Shortly before the first English settlers arrived to a virtually empty New Plymouth, Te Atiawa from the Wellington area invaded the Chathams. They had been displaced in north Taranaki by the repeated raids by Waikato. The massacre and cannibal feasting at Pukerangiora is well documented. The Waikato leader Te Whero Whero (later the first Maori king) claimed this land as his "by right of conquest".
Invading Atiawa at the Chathams were peacefully met by the 1500-odd Moriori. For at least 400 years they had been isolated and for various known reasons they had rejected violence. The Maori had no such rules.
They immediately murdered about 300 and, after making the rest slaves, divided up the Moriori land claiming it "by right of conquest". The complete degradation of the Moriori followed for more than thirty years, long after slavery was abolished in New Zealand and released Atiawa started to return to claim north Taranaki back.
Many want Parihaka as a symbol of peace but the truth is that the only truly peaceful people of those times were the Moriori.
The difference was that at Parihaka it is easy to condemn today because Pakeha were involved whereas at the Chathams it was Polynesians massacring Polynesians.
My point is that many mistakes were made at that time by all sides. Can we not accept this, shut the door to the past and seek to live in genuine peace today.
E S
Inglewood
STRANGE TIMES
A certain amount of newspaper weirdness is highly desirable to boost sales and enliven the day. The Times excelled with two recent articles.
The first was the report on the Matariki protest at a marae in Taranaki. Taranaki is one of the wettest areas in New Zealand and stars are normally obscured by cloud or rain all through winter. I don’t think a few wispy smoke plumes 5km away will make much difference to the marae’s celebrations. The idea of Matariki as a planting time is highly dubious.
Good luck to anyone trying to plant kumara in Taranaki in June! Most authentic accounts talk of winter as a time of death. Traditional Maori foods were not planted in mid winter as they were of sub tropical origin.
The second beauty was the report of October 28 being chosen as the date to commemorate the Waikato Wars. The signing of the Declaration of Independence in Northland was a minor, local, Ngapuhi affair concerned with keeping Baron de Thierry from becoming ‘‘king of the Bay of Islands’’ – nothing to do with Waikato or any war. It was superseded by the Treaty of Waitangi. It took place in 1835– 27 years prior to the Waikato Wars.
A more weird date would be hard to find!
M L
Hamilton
The article relating to Matariki is here > www.stuff.co.nz/business/80926549/kahotea-marae-opposed-to-nova-gasfired-power-plant
Northland Age 8/11/16
THE REAL AGENDA
One would have to be very naive to accept the real purpose of the proposed commemoration of the Land Wars. A likely result may be more spurious claims of tribal land confiscations, resulting in more Waitangi Tribunal-sponsored settlements.
Te Ururoa Flavell should consider that those who died during the entire military engagements, 190 deaths the most in a single battle, fell well short of the thousands slaughtered by Hongi Hika or Te Rauparaha in a single raid on other tribes. The over 40,000 who died in the internecine battles of the Musket Wars apparently deserve no mention.
Our school children deserve to be taught the true, verifiable facts of our history and not the ethnically-biased versions presented by teachers who betray their professional and ethical trust by introducing personal politics into their classrooms.
Where does honest revision and reflection on our history begin? Are the murderous actions of Mr Flavell's Ngapuhi forebears not deserving of commemorating?
B J
Omokoroa
Northern Advocate 8/11/16 (Also in Northland Age 8/11/16)
TE TIRITI
I followed with interested the exchange of views re the Treaty of Waitangi in Letters recently.
The true treaty is Te Tiriti o Waitangi, written in te reo. No other document is the treaty. This document contained the words that were written and that were spoken to the people of New Zealand in February of 1840 and the preceding months. It is this document that contains the marks or signatures of those who became a party to it.
Yes, we all know that Maunsell used an English version at Waikato, penned by James Freeman, to receive some signatures that wouldn't fit on the official te reo document. But we also know the vast majority of signatories to the actual treaty, Te Tiriti o Waitangi, did not speak or understand English in 1840. So any English 'version' written by Freeman is irrelevant, as it was not the document that was read to the people.
It is nothing short of criminal that the government have elevated the Freeman document and sat it alongside the official and signed document.
M L
Te Puke
Taranaki Daily News 8/11/16
PARIHAKA AND PEACE
The peaceful greeting of the Armed Constabulary was inevitable due to the decision to present in overwhelming numbers. Had half a dozen constables turned up to arrest Te Whiti and Tohu the outcome may not have been peaceful.
When Te Whiti was starting to talk of peaceful coexistence with Pakeha his fellow Atiawa were still holding the rapidly diminishing remnants of the Moriori in abject slavery on the Chatham islands.
Shortly before the first English settlers arrived to a virtually empty New Plymouth, Te Atiawa from the Wellington area invaded the Chathams. They had been displaced in north Taranaki by the repeated raids by Waikato. The massacre and cannibal feasting at Pukerangiora is well documented. The Waikato leader Te Whero Whero (later the first Maori king) claimed this land as his "by right of conquest".
Invading Atiawa at the Chathams were peacefully met by the 1500-odd Moriori. For at least 400 years they had been isolated and for various known reasons they had rejected violence. The Maori had no such rules.
They immediately murdered about 300 and, after making the rest slaves, divided up the Moriori land claiming it "by right of conquest". The complete degradation of the Moriori followed for more than thirty years, long after slavery was abolished in New Zealand and released Atiawa started to return to claim north Taranaki back.
Many want Parihaka as a symbol of peace but the truth is that the only truly peaceful people of those times were the Moriori.
The difference was that at Parihaka it is easy to condemn today because Pakeha were involved whereas at the Chathams it was Polynesians massacring Polynesians.
My point is that many mistakes were made at that time by all sides. Can we not accept this, shut the door to the past and seek to live in genuine peace today.
E S
Inglewood