Post by Kiwi Frontline on Apr 1, 2016 9:41:17 GMT 12
LAND WAR PETITION – LETTERS TO OTOROHANGA COLLEGE
The "King Country" has always been a somewhat mysterious part of New Zealand to most of us. It is no less so today. Suddenly, out of it has come a petition to Parliament, sponsored, so it is said, by the students of Otorohanga College for a day to commemorate the "Land Wars".
Well now, the term "Land Wars" is a recent serious misnomer for the hostilities of the mid-nineteenth century, correctly described as tribal rebellions.
The most serious of these was that initiated by the King Country tribes who declared their intention to slaughter every white person in Auckland. Fortunately, resolute action by Government forces thwarted this intention and eventually, by a brilliantly successful and humane action at Rangioawhia, General Cameron broke the back of the rebellion and peace was restored.
Some few months ago, with new information provided by colleagues, I was able to give a more complete and accurate account of the capture of Rangioawhia than had hitherto been compiled, even that of the most notable of historians of those times, James Cowan.
Learning of this strange "Land Wars" petition, I wrote forthwith on 3rd December last to the Principal of Otorohanga College, Timoti Harris, including a copy of my article. I felt sure that had his intentions always been to provide his students with the most accurate account of the history of their region, he would have welcomed it with open arms. Not so. I received no reply. I wrote to him again on 11th December then on 3rd January and 28th March this year. There has been a stony silence.
What does one conclude? It appears that the intention of this man is to obtain some sort of acclaim or notoriety by feeding his students with much of the racist-inspired false information current today and he has incited them accordingly to put their energies into sponsoring this falsely conceived petition. His inaction speaks louder than words….
Read Bruce Moon's letters to Otorohanga College here > breakingviewsnz.blogspot.co.nz/2016/03/bruce-moon-land-war-petition-letters-to.html
The "King Country" has always been a somewhat mysterious part of New Zealand to most of us. It is no less so today. Suddenly, out of it has come a petition to Parliament, sponsored, so it is said, by the students of Otorohanga College for a day to commemorate the "Land Wars".
Well now, the term "Land Wars" is a recent serious misnomer for the hostilities of the mid-nineteenth century, correctly described as tribal rebellions.
The most serious of these was that initiated by the King Country tribes who declared their intention to slaughter every white person in Auckland. Fortunately, resolute action by Government forces thwarted this intention and eventually, by a brilliantly successful and humane action at Rangioawhia, General Cameron broke the back of the rebellion and peace was restored.
Some few months ago, with new information provided by colleagues, I was able to give a more complete and accurate account of the capture of Rangioawhia than had hitherto been compiled, even that of the most notable of historians of those times, James Cowan.
Learning of this strange "Land Wars" petition, I wrote forthwith on 3rd December last to the Principal of Otorohanga College, Timoti Harris, including a copy of my article. I felt sure that had his intentions always been to provide his students with the most accurate account of the history of their region, he would have welcomed it with open arms. Not so. I received no reply. I wrote to him again on 11th December then on 3rd January and 28th March this year. There has been a stony silence.
What does one conclude? It appears that the intention of this man is to obtain some sort of acclaim or notoriety by feeding his students with much of the racist-inspired false information current today and he has incited them accordingly to put their energies into sponsoring this falsely conceived petition. His inaction speaks louder than words….
Read Bruce Moon's letters to Otorohanga College here > breakingviewsnz.blogspot.co.nz/2016/03/bruce-moon-land-war-petition-letters-to.html