A young nation with almost five million people currently residing, the history of New Zealand was the last sizeable region to be discovered that met the needs for settling. Maori people of the Polynesian descent first arrived in New Zealand about seven hundred years ago. Among the Europeans, a Dutch explorer named Abel Tasman sighted New Zealand for the first time in December 1642.
A Brief Outline in the History of New Zealand
The Arrival of the Maori People
The history of New Zealand is tied to the early ancestors of the Maori people from Polynesia who were the first to arrive and settle in New Zealand. According to the most recent archaeological study, it must have happened in between 1320 and 1350 AD. Conforming to the Maori belief, a Polynesian navigator with the name Kupe guided their forefathers into the country’s soil.
The islands in Polynesia like Hawai and Tahiti share notable similarities with Maoris in their language and culture. Kupe led the Maoris from a place referred to as Hawaiki, which is either an island in Polynesia or a group of islands. In the coming years, many followed the trail left by Kupe to New Zealand, but a fair share of them returned back to Hawaiki as well.
Skilled in hunting and farming, Maoris used to hunt the native birds of New Zealand and cultivate Polynesian vegetables like Kumara. For fishing, they made nets from flax and hooks from stones. The native vegetables and fruits were also devoured by them. Pātaka, a building on stilts, was used for storing provisions and baskets were woven to take food.
Maoris used to build Pā with stockades and trenches, a structure that guards any attack from intruders. Now seen either in museums or during Maori ceremonies, ‘Taiaha’ and ‘Mere’ were traditional Maori weapons handled by Maori warriors.
European Settlers Arriving in New Zealand
One of the most important aspects of the history of New Zealand is about the expedition to discover a mineral-rich continent in 1642, a Dutch explorer named Abel Tasman sighted New Zealand when he anchored at the northern end of South Island. Although he sailed up to Golden Bay, he was never able to enter New Zealand. Captain James Cook of Britain renewed the contact between Maoris and Europeans in 1769, when he circumnavigated and mapped the country. Young Nick who accompanied Cook as a cabin boy was the one to sight the country.Two more expeditions to New Zealand were also steered by Cook before his unfortunate death in 1779. Whalers, sealers, missionaries and especially traders from Europe started to visit in plenty. The Europeans maintained a close relationship with the Maoris and hence some of the European diseases were disseminated. Also, arms were supplied by Europeans during the ‘Musket Wars’ from the years 1807 to 1837. Up to three thousand battles were fought between tribes of Maori, resulting in twenty to forty thousand deaths.
The Treaty of Waitangi
The Treaty of Waitangi was the foundational document of New Zealand and is a central aspect of the history of New Zealand. It was an agreement between the British and the Maori which established a British Governor for New Zealand, first signed on 6 February 1840.
The treaty was originally written in English and then translated to Maori. Supposed to legally validate the ownership of the Maori people over their land, forest and other possessions, the Treaty of Waitangi was instantly signed by forty three Northland chiefs. Said to offer the rights of British citizens to the Maori people, it was also signed by more than five hundred Maori chiefs in the coming eight months. But when William Hobson was made governor, he later declared British sovereignty over New Zealand in May 1840. This facilitated Queen Victoria’s government to enjoy the exclusive right to purchase land in the country.
The New Zealand Wars broke out in 1843 due to the pressure from the government on the Maori people to sell their land. A lot of the Maoris lost their land to the government during the course of these violent conflicts, causing their population to decline. There were also disputes regarding the variation in how the English and Maori texts were interpreted. Since, the Maori people were predominantly an oral community and writing was a new concept to them, the written translation of the original English text into Maori lacked the competence to convey the same meaning.
A Culture of Diversity
The Immigration Act of 1987 presented the opportunity for people from countries other than Britain and Ireland to arrive in New Zealand. When the Chinese came in search of gold, Indians and Dutch arrived as farmers. Croatians and Dalmatians were granted land by the British to settle. At the beginning of the twenty-first century, people started shifting from the Middle East, Latin America, and Africa.The 2013 census says that a quarter of New Zealand’s population were born abroad, more than twelve percent are Asians and above seven percent belong to Pacific Island countries. Apart from that, Samoan, Northern Chinese, Hindi, French, Korean, German, Spanish and Dutch are all popular languages in the country. Since people of different ethnicities can be largely seen in New Zealand, it is now a culturally diverse destination.
Although a young nation, the history of New Zealand has an interesting story to tell. Do you agree with us? Let us know in the comments.