Legacy of the Maori Monarchy

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For nearly two years, he had walked a meticulously diplomatic line. with his immensely powerful adversaries by March of eighteen sixty. Tensions had boiled over to a complex series of deals, betrayals, and armed conflicts And although Tefuero Fuero likely got little amusement from it He surely recognized the parallels. to the ill fated military campaign. He had led forty years prior. becausecause just like that pivotal point of the Musket Wars, This risky battle. was once again based in the Taranaki region of New Zealand's North Island However, while the location was basically the same Many other elements had changed point, Tefwuerafera was not merely the Rangutira or chief of multiple Hapu or sub tribes as well as the overall leader of the Waikatu Iwi or tribe He was also the first Maori king to have ever been crowned Furthermore, unlike in his warrior Heye, his opponents were no longer rival tribes and chieftains but European settler militias colonial government Queen Victoria had installed in Auckland and the British monarchy itself The stakes were incredibly high and the sides were exceedingly uneven. On the colonial side, in addition to locally based militias, thirty five hundred imperial soldiers were reportedly directed from Australia to Taranaki Most sources peg Maori defensive forces as varying between several hundred fifteen hundred at most The troops sent by the Victorian government not only vastly outnumbered their Maori opponents, They also had far superior firepower This included an abundance of individual muskets and rifles Plus, if Maori Souts' reports were accurate, the support of the Royal Australian Navy What was Tefuero Fuero to do directly opposing the British crown and its proxies escalate the conflict into a full blown war. In addition to obviously causing bloodshed Such large scale violence could alienate his allies. give further ammunition to his rivals and destroy collective Maori power But if Teiffuero Fuero did nothing, there would still likely be ample bloodshed and he might alienate numerous Mauri factions while undermining his authority Coming off as an ineffectual leader to make Tefuero Fuero's predicament even harder He was by this point quite ill and apparently unable to leave his Pa or fortified village Once again with his life his tribe's fortunes and New Zealand's hierarchy all hanging in the balance Te Fuero Fuero had to choose a path forward Who would have thought that the days decades earlier of him single handedly fighting off dozens of enemies would have been so much easier. I'm Dana Schwartz, and this is Noble Blood The process of creating a Maori monarchy is fascinating due to how it bridged cultures resond conflict and elevated a king who initially didn't even want to be king So in many ways, part two of our story is actually about the Maori King movement a story that highlights the ultimate first king, Tfuero Fuero but also the work of several influential kingmakers Fascinatingly, the first of these kingmakers, Tami Hana Te Roaraha was the son of Tefuero Fuero's former rival, Te Roparaha the other main formidable chief we had met in part one. His son, Tamahana, was, by most accounts, a clever, worldly leader. who learned a great deal about Maori and New Zealand history from his renowned warrior father To quickly recap some significant events that are relevant to his later efforts Polynesians first voyaged to New Zealand via canoe around twelve fifty and began settling in greater numbers by about thirteen fifty These hardy explorers formed communities that eventually developed distinct Maori traditions and social structures Centuries later, European sailors visited the grouping of over six hundred islands and the related etymology of New Zealand. provides some insight into the seeds of chaos that eventually sprouted into political upheaval and a transcontinental battle over Maori rights and autonomy In sixteen forty two, Dutch explorer Abel Tesman spotted the main North and south islands and Despite him supposedly never venturing ashore during that journey Cartographers back in the Netherlands who learned of his quQote, unquote discovery went ahead and named the whole island grouping Nova Zilandia after a Dutch province It's not as if Maori individuals didn't already have names for their chosen homelands The Maori Appalachian Aurioroa, which now often is used interchangeably with New Zealand in reference to the country, has origins dating back to those first Polynesian canoes. However, Aur Tiaroa was purportedly only used by Maori individuals to refer to the North island while the South island had other names All to say, while Maori tribes shared countless cultural attributes There's little evidence that they had a firm concept of being part of one collective nation. or at least not in the same sense as many Western countries at that time Evidently, the name New Zealand was used fairly commonly by European colonists and even some Maori groups during Tamahhana's lifetime This effectively underlined the complicated and often awkward dynamics of the island's nineteenth century power structures This was especially apparent in the somewhat haphazard Dclaration of Independence of New Zealand ninetteen thirty five thirty four Northern chiefs signed the document as quote the United tribes of New Zealand along with the Crown's chosen British resident at the time But as quite a few scholars argue The Delaration was less a momentous act of revolution and more a self aggrandizing move by the British resident. and a relatively knee jerk response to a commercial shipping issue relating to proper flag usage Historians and writers seem to almost universally agree the Declaration of Independence was actually far less consequential than the Treaty of Vitangi that came five years later. This eighteen forty agreement was the result of many Northern chiefs wanting protection from possible French annexation and agents of the British crown assisted by drafting a deal that greatly increased British authority over New Zealand Specifically, that treaty contained three Paradigm shifting articles. It essentially gave governmental oversight of New Zealand Queen of England, Victoria gave the British crrown the exclusive right to purchase Maori land and in return, gave Maori people the protection and rights of British citizens As Tamihana ostensibly surmised And as the last one hundred and eighty six years of subsequent history have confirmed, Those provisions are a whole lot to unpack The Treaty of Vaitangi has long been the subject of immense legal debate partly due to the two different versions that the British Cul circulated One written in English and the other written in Maori which, as you can probably guess, led to crucial discrepancies in meaning Although some accounts attribute this to intentional deception on the part of the British More in depth modern scholarship argue that the British missionary charged with translating the treaty actually did do a pretty thoughtful job. But due to vast societal differences, such as one side having a long history of written contracts, and the other operating almost entirely on oral and verbal agreements There were simply no direct or ideal translations available in certain cases For example, as many historians have noted, the English version of the treaty arguably handed complete sovereignty over to the British crown whileile the Maori version seemed to create what many North Island chiefs may have interpreted as a system in which they would share power with an incoming governor appointed by Queen Victoria. As you might imagine, the Treaty of Waitangi incited rampant debate among Maori tribal leaders Many didn't sign it, including Tefuero Fuero Tay Roparaa did, supposedly thinking it guaranteed him his own domain But he soon learned a harsh lesson. after the colonial government tried to imprison him over a land disagreement in eighteen forty three leading to what's known as the Yow of Fray. This violent skirmish reportedly had a big impact Ante Ropuraha's son He recognized that the more abstract sovereignty disagreements would certainly continue to create issues The question of land rights was seemingly the most pressing problem As numerous scholars point out, the Maori did not historically share the same notions as the British in terms of owning land in perpetuity. So the crown attempting to buy huge swaths and control all land purchasing rights in New Zealand, was a rude awakening Unsurprisingly, British officials aggressively pursued the issue while Queen Victoria eventually dispatched an edict in eighteen forty six that all land not actively occupied by Maori tribes automatically belonged to the crown Like his elders, Tamahana realized that by being separated from their lands, his people were losing their freedoms, livelihoods, and ways of life In Tamihana's mind, the tribes needed a better strategy and better leverage which required a better understanding of what they were up against So in an impressively proactive move in eighteen fifty He sailed to meet Queen Victoria in person to see her monarchy in action He seemingly kept things cordial while there But his gears must have been turning because by the end of his trip He'd reached a clear conclusion. T deal with a monarch, the Maori needed a monarch of their own Tamihana returned to New Zealand eager to get a monarchy started According to multiple accounts, he had plenty of willing listeners. Since most Maori tribes were gravely concerned about holding on to their lands and traditions. especially considering Britain's colonial tactics While the crown obviously had ample military might at their disposal, economic pressure was plenty effective as an initial motivator Many chiefs reportedly felt compelled to sell land to the British for a range of interconnected reasons including supporting those in their sub tribes who had become impoverished because of foreign born infectious diseases, and changing laws that favored outsiders of predominantly European descent However, despite all of these collective grievances, it was tough for Tamihana to convince many tribe chiefs of the value of elevating a single Maori king. For one thing, there were still so many tribal rivalries, even just on the North Island where Tamiyana focused his efforts Geography was another issue Tribes were spread across the North Island and the amount of rugged terrain between them meant that traveling by horseback to communicate and coordinate considerable time and effort Tami Hanet was determined as were other like minded early backers of the mononarchy planan collectively became known as the Kingitenga. or Maori King movement The group gained momentum by resurrecting the tradition of holding Runanga or large war councils. Some of these councils were massive, like a meeting of two thousand Northern Mawori leaders in eighteen fifty four Still, most accounts from that time reveal that the movement continually bumped up against their biggest obstacle ideology Many chiefs struggled to wrap their heads around the idea of a king. Why should they copy European structure? Would creating an alternate monarch to Queen Victoria provoke a hostile takeover Wouldn't that all further erode the Maori way of life Tamyhana and his collaborators purportedly argued that the larger goal wasn't to fully mirror or adopt British culture It was actually the opposite to create a position that could give them consolidated negotiating power to protect and preserve Maori customs even for Maori leaders sympathetic to that reasoning. There was still an elephant in the room They did agree on a king. Who would it be Here another figure of the King Tenga Tamihana's cousin, Mateen Fifi, was instrumental Tiff Wfe reportedly studied the ancestry and deeds of hundreds of possible king candidates He then traveled extensively with his cousin to persuade those deemed suitable to take the position But in spite of his well researched pitch and the chance to make royal history, all of the chiefs he approached declined Some simply weren't aligned with the movement while others cited regional authority issues For instance, here is how one chief replied, quote, You are correct. I am a chief, a descendant of your ancestors. However, the problem is that my pedigree adheres to only one people My mountain does not move. I do not agree but like his determined cousin, Tifffifi kept at it The rights leader definitely had to tick many specific boxes First and foremost, he had to have the authority and connections to win the support of enough tribes His own tribe also needed enough resources to host all manner of royal functions. And the right candidate had to be wise, careful, and charismatic enough to represent a wide range of Maori interests while simultaneously dealing with the British In other words, the first king had to be someone with the utmost mana. As we explored in part one, mana is a complex sweeping Maori term often interpreted as an individual's overall Power authority, prestige her Mai custom and familial lore seemingly no living chief. had more mana than the venerated Dfuero Fuero Tifi approached him. And Tfuer Fuero said no. then Tiffweef we supposedly approached him several more times And Defuero Fuero kept saying no And not without good reason Sofwerfr was likely almost eighty by this point and his health was failing Additionally, as we know from part one He reputedly had a knack for recognizing traps Some biographers suggest that the wise chief foresaw that the Maori kingship would be a thankless position. Such a ruler would be continually hampered by being stuck in the middle of conflicting Maori, British, and tribal factions By eighteen fifty seven, things looked grim for the King movement. until perhaps The most influential kingmaker of all made his mark Giremu Tamihana, the chief of another Waikato Iwi or tribe. was fed up with Auckland's parliament. You may remember from the articles of the Treaty of Waitenga Maori individuals were supposed to be afforded the rights and privileges of British citizens In practice, this was far from the case Quite a lot of evidence points to the colonial government severely restricting the Maori population from having a say in broader New Zealand legislation and even hampering them from making and enforcing laws within their own tribes couple years earlier Wei Ramou had gotten so frustrated with this inadequate system that he tried to petition for Maori representation within Auckland's Parliament But he was allegedly ignored for two full days while waiting outside the governor's office All while Pakaha or white European descended New Zealanders got in without any issue The incident was essentially the final straw for Riimu, who claimed that Maori were quote treated like dogs by the colonialist government. And he went back to Tfuera Fuero once more He beseeched his renowned elder They needed change. leadership and a collective voice It's tricky to say what to exactly persuaded Tfuero Fuera. If some nineteenth century historians are to be believed The chief was senile by then and no longer aware of what he was agreeing to Conversely, as some later scholars argued crucial factor was that Tefuerofuero regularly attended church and responded well to the fact that Wirimu himself was a devout Christian convert. who supported his political ideas with biblical teachings Judging by Maori oral traditions, it's also plausible that Wiramou cleverly helped to reframe Tefuera Fuero's perception of his serious ailments Rather than the storied leader's failing health being a reason he should avoid becoming king. pererhaps accepting the crown. be a final meaningful chance for him to improve Maori lives honor his lineage and further glorify his legacy. when he wasn't quite able to show his metedal on a battlefield Whatever the case he finally got to Fuero Fuero to agree In his eighteen fifty eight acceptance speech, Teifuera Fuero walked a fine line that very much seemed to be the product of considerable experience rather than rambling senility According to modern scholars, his overriding intention was to unite and motivate Maori tribes while simultaneously clarifying that his crowning was not a direct challenge to British power But representatives of the British monarchy of course did not take it that way The crowning of Tiffwuer Fuero apparently made the British governor of New Zealand Thomas Brown exceedingly paranoid Brown came up with a plot to occupy a block of land in Waitara despite supposedly being well aware that the sale had been vetoed by the ranking chief there assuming that this move would spark violence. planned to then use any firm displays of Maori defiance as a means to forcibly invade the region to emphasize British sovereignty and undermine the new Maori King When it came time to side with a monarch Who would many struggling tribes pick? The eighty year old rookie who could neither control nor defend his people or the wealthy, all powerful Queen Victoria. Governor Brown's plan basically backfired since he evidently didn't understand Maori culture well enough Tribes may have fought fierce wars with each other for centuries as some Maori writers and scholars note They had no inherent problem with the idea of parallel or overlapping authorities In fact, the Maori population was very used to this with their system of Yi, Hapu, and Rangatira, or tribes, sub tribes and chiefs If anything, Governor Brown's shady tactics probably unified more support for Tiffuera Fuero and the Kingit Tanga Even so, Tefuerafuero was extremely reluctant to enter into any overt conflict with the British He was plenty familiar with their power In addition, for a decently long stretch before his crowning, He had apparently been on solid diplomatic terms with Queen Victoria herself then the land dispute in Taranaki escalated to the point that in March of eighteen sixty British crown directed imperial troops from Australia as well as a full worship. HMVS Victoria was a five hundred and eighty ton vessel powered by both sail and steam Interestingly, it was the first warship to be built in Britain and then given to a British colony and also the first Australian warship to ever be deployed overseas to put it simply This was a massive test for the fledgling Maori monarchy T Far Fuero's initial hesitation to act surely made some of his allies wonder whichich version of the legendary man they were going to get as a king Had Teifffuerfuero become wholly peaceful and passive in his elder years? After all, when he was crowned, he took the title of Pw Tato apparent reference to his love for a dying wife. as opposed to something in reference to his greatness as a warrior chief or was the aging King's vaunted patience finally wearing thin Because on some level, he seemingly understood that no matter what he did anger and blame would be heaped on him anyway ultimately despite Te Fer Fuera's side being hugely outnumbered and outgunned posossibly even because of it. That signature warrior spirit of his finally reemerged Cer most sources, it seems unlikely that Tefuer Fer returned to Taranaki in person But he supported Mauori fighters' efforts there by sending substantial reinforcements and supplies. Teiffwerfu died in June of eighteen sixty about three months after the start of the as it was later dubbed First Taranaki War. But the tone he set for the Maori King movement carried on Despite Britain's resources and military power The first Taranaki war ended in a stalemate, thanks in part to cunning guerrilla tactics by Maori warriors and the timely intervention of the Maori monarch Though there was still plenty of strife to come This was a huge win for the United tribes of New Zealand Tiffuer Fuero wielding his digging implement against wave of attackers dececades before he would become king The Northern chiefs proved that they would never go down without a fight All in all, Tefuer Fuero's legacy is pretty unique and complex Though he was a fearsome warrior with a lengthy military career, didn't become king through a military campaign or a hostile takeover, like many other warrior monarchs. Again, he didn't even want to be king at first as some historians have suggested, This might be why, short as his reign was He was able to partially put his ego aside in order to navigate a nearly impossible set of political circumstances. is short reign if Fera Fuero was able to successfully found a dynasty Technically he was elected as king and so his successors did not have to be blood relatives but it still worked out that way His son took over as King and Waikato chief and oversaw further violent conflicts against the British colonial government. plus other settlers and even Maori tribes allied with them in what would eventually be called the New Zealand Wars Then his son took over after him and so on Currently, there is a Maori monarch descended from this line Nawi Hono I Tipo. who was crowned queen in twenty twenty four In many ways, the Maori monarchy and the movement that started it are still fairly divisive and controversial just as they were back in the nineteenth century The New Zealand wars roped in numerous factions and continued until eighteen seventy two. But there was essentially no outright winner Many land and sovereignty issues are still simmering throughout the multi Island nation although conflicts are now mostly fought in courtrooms instead of on battlefields For added context, New Zealand ended their status as a British colony in nineteen oh seven. then gradually became an independent nation that is still today part of the British Commonwealth. So in a sense, there are dual heads of state in New Zealand. British monarch and the Maori monarch. That said, it's worth pointing out that Similarly to how many Maori chieftains neither elected nor supported Tfera Fero as king M still do not recognize the Maori monarch Furthermore, as some writers acknowledge The Maori monarchy functions in something of a ceremonial role Although the chosen monarch does have a certain amount of power and cultural significance. especially within the Waikato tribe Given all of the hurdles, paradigm shifts and the British crown's increasingly fraught history of land grabs, discrimination and forced assimilation in New Zealand throughroughout the nineteenth century easy to wonder. How the monarchy that Tefuero Fuero founded actually survived Again, a lot comes down to mana as well as the related concept of tapu Tapu essentially means sacred and under protection from Atua, the Maori ancestor gods people, places, and things can all be imbued with it. Like Ma, tapu is connected to ancestry and can evolve over time in becoming the first Maori monarch Tefuero Fuero infused Tapoo into the position making the role, at least to some tribes, sacred, untouchable, and inherently tied to the land In other words, the King making movement may have originally been emulating the British monarchy But in the end, They, in effect created a royal structure that was uniquely Maori Part two of the story of Tiffuer Fuero's unique rise to royalty. Stick around after a brief sponsor break to learn the profoundly relevant meaning behind several key Maori words.