Where have they all gone?

The population of Rekohu is shrinking dramatically and at the current rate, will reach a crisis point, sooner, rather than later, unless something can be done to arrest the trend.

People have always come and gone from these islands. Some to return at a later date. Some never.

But all are always welcome and they are always whanau. If you have been there once, or if your family was once there, still there, thinking of going there, then you are whanau too.

But now, today, something more insidious is afoot. The crippling cost of living on Rekohu is driving people away. Fewer people are returning and more are going.

For my 28 years of involvement with Rekohu, the population havs always been a steady 750 folks and a good 40-50 on Rangiauria (Pitt Island). At the last census, the population was recorded as a total (Pitt and Rekohu) of 606 hardy souls, with a mixture of ethnicities,  backgrounds and incomes.

This goes against the national and global trends for population increase.

They are actually leaving and no-one is filling the gaps.

For the first time in a long long time (probably for ever) there are more houses for sale than there are buyers.

There isnt a single issue that is causing this problem. There are many and it seems like in the past 2-3 years, that they have all come to a head. This will be a conversation piece for a fair while I suspect. I look forward to getting a few comments and views on this.

One of the biggest issues though has to be the cost of living.

Electricity prices are about 5 times that of living in the mainland.

Every single item of foodstuffs that you import has a freight component. Everything that you buy here has that freight cost built in, with mark-ups from 0% to 200% on some in-store items.

Fuel prices seem to rise disproportionately to that of our mainland suppliers, perhaps reflecting the inadvisability of permitting monopolistic situations, in both the shipping, the agents and the retail sectors.

NO monopoly is good for anything.

The inextricable, complex and undoubtedly financially rewarding relationship between the shipping agent, the ships owners and the retail outlets is definitely a recipe for community disaster.

Little doubt that the locals sense a rat in the mix. Especially when one considers that the price of fuel at the pumps is a lot higher than the commercaial “bulk rates” that suppliers can provide.

No wonder that the Chatham Islands Enterprise Trust seems hell-bent on becoming involved in providing fuel, or at least an alternative outlet for us peasants. Lets hope that their commercial imperative remains firmly tainted by the social obligations and conscience that they are mandated to have, because they dont appear to have done diddly squat for the islanders over the past few years…? Correct me if I am wrong. I would relish the opportunity for the discussion….?

Conversely, though, and just before some of you stab frantically at the keyboard in response, risking cuticle damage and apoplexy, I don’t think that the anonymous mailout late last year was an answer either. It read like a Winston Peters election pledge: Long winded, conveniently omitting all of the pertinent information, unprovoked personal attacks, absolutely off the mark and pointless, and all delivered from the anonymous safety of an old womans knickers. What a rabid crock of ……….

Anyway,….. I digress……

Getting back to the conversation at hand: Population demise.

Another contributing factor is the perception that it isnt a nice place to live in, and certainly not that best place to raise your children. Bollocks. Its great. But if it doesnt suit you… then… you’re right. Leave.

If, however it does suit you, stay. Simple. Next issue please.

No seriously, it isnt for everyone. Which is great, becasue we dont want everyone living here, because than it wouldnt be our Chatham Islands would it.

A lot of modern parents are choosing to move out to the mainland while their children attend secondary school and you have to admit, thats a positive thing to do, both for the parents and the kids involved. There is nothing more important than family.

Is there another option. Could the kids recieve secondary schooling on Rekohu? No. A big fat N.O. Well, actually, they can. The correspondence school provide services here and even pay for a registered teacher to take a class several hours per week, based at Te One School.

For some Parents, this is ok, whilst other would prefer that their children recieved socialisation as well as education by attending a mainland high school. Fair enough we say.

Could we start a high school on the Chathams then?

Well actually you could, and it could be quite a well resourced little school. You would have to mnake iut an area school, with new entrants through to Form 7, much the same as Cheviot area school, in North Canterbury, Hurunui, Karamea, Taipa area school, Murchison, in fact, there are heaps of them and they all cope. Some have as few as 70 students. We could have over 100 if everybody was into it.

The difficulty would be is that the kids are still only mixing with the same kids, but that is the same difficulty as other area schools face.

Financially, a local school would be a winner as well, and should be a very well resopurced unit, providing education for all ages as well as community education.

Anyway that the end of todays wee speech. I’ll be back. Dont forget to throw in your comments though?

Me rongo (in peace)

Carvings and other Cultural Treasures of the Tchakat Henu

Tena Ko

In response to a question from “Scott” I have to add these comments about the book ‘Manu Moriori’.

Whilst it is an exceptionally beautiful book, and full of wonderful photographs of Hokairo or more appropriately: rakau momori,  it seems to me to be yet another example of someone making use of the (cultural) intellectual property rights of an indigenous people, much the same as has happened to Moriori for the past ??? years. I also note that in the acknowledgement section towards the back of the book, no acknowledgment was given to the Hokotehi Moriori Trust, who are the offically recognised, mandated representitivres of Te Imi Moriori. I further add, that reading this book, was the first time that I have ever heard the expression “Manu Moriori” and wonder why Mr Richards would call his new book something that defies the current and historical understanding of the names of the carvings. They are rakau momori, or momori rakau, not manu moriori. That could also be interpreted as saying that historical Moriori saw themselves as ”Bird People”. I have found no reliable source to confirm that supposition.

I also note, that in Micheal King’s book: Moriori: A People Re-discovered, he states that, ” No one knows the exact nature and function of the Moriori dendroglyphs on the Kopi. The groves may have served a ritual purpose similar to that of marae….”

Get it?

No one does know!

I also am surprised by the casualness with which someone with as much (research/scientific/historical)experience as Mr Richards obviously possesses, can make the transition from supposition to fact: (I refer to his presentation that Moriori and the inhabitants of Rapanui (Easter Island) shared similar beliefs, habits and language) I quote from page 48; “The Moriori drew their motifs a bit differently, but their carvings represent exactly the same concept”.

or from page 50; “The parallels are too numerous, and too close, to be dismissed as chance”.

or from page 51: “The functions of all three seem remarkably similar”.

Now, dont get me wrong. I am not saying that there is no connection between the inhabitants of Rapanui and those early inhabitants of Rekohu, and I do agree that there are similarities in the language etc etc, but amongst the many things that spring to mind, the first is this:

A people that possessed the technology to create those giant carvings on Rapanui, and obviously travelled between islands etc, why didnt they continue carving them on Rekohu, as there is certainly plenty of good canvases there? And.. the Moriori certainly had the ability to carve stone, didnt they?

Anyway, that just me nitpicking again..

Scott: To answer your question. I liked the look of the book. I liked the photographs. I did not like the comparisons which eventually gave the impression that it was a done deal; that Moriori and Rapanui-ites shared close relations (perhaps even originating from there less than 600 years ago). I prefer to believe the M. KIng’s version that ” evidence of the final migration was from New Zealand is explicit”.

I also believe that the book should have been at least authorised by Hokotehi Moriori Trust as it would have been nice to have had a foreword in there from them, to lend it cultural credibility. Unless Mr Richards has Moriori hokopapa (lineage) this is just another example of what Micheal King calls, “manipulative, presumptuous and of little value”.

All of the resources cited were recorded after Moriori had been in “contact” (thats very “pc” eh?) with New Zealand Maori for over thirty years, diluting the truth, and infecting the Moriori mythology with their versions. Thats not very scientific is it?

Baucke, for example, who lived on Rekohu, and spoke fluent re, reo and english, initially wrote with respect of Moriori, recording customs and traditions, but later writings, 1922+ were vitriolic and full of nothing but distaste for the “inferior beings” that he saw Moriori as. This may or may not be related to his marital status at that time.

Hunt, in his Diary was recorded as being one of the last to see a Moriori do a tree carving, after the murder of his wife and child by Maori. Hunt didnt arriver on Rekohu (or Rangiauria) until 1841(ish). 6 years after the arrival of Maori.

Jefferson did her book in the 1950’s.  

I conclude by re-iterating that these taongas are the intellectual property of the Moriori People. They are not there for the intellectual self-gratification of others. The majority of those that remain, that havent been destroyed by agricultural practices, or firewood gathering, are located in one, of only two National Historic Reserves that New Zealand has. They are important culturally, spiritually, and historically for Moriori. They are also important for the cultural and historical conscience of New Zealand. It is not up to anyone else, apart from Moriori, to tell us what they represent, or to make allusions as to what they might mean, or whom they are related to.

Manu means bird!  There are carvings that depict nearly every living animal, insect or fish on Rekohu.

Hey, but these are my views only.

You asked the question.

I hope you got the answer that you wanted.

Me rongo

Who to blame?.

Interestingly enough over the past nearly a year or so, many people have said to me, “whats the point in blaming anyone for what happened a 170 years ago?” And to a certain point I would have to agree. There is absolutely no point in blaming anyone for something that happened 170 years ago. Absolutely! Besides, I’m picking that the majority of those involved have probably met their makers by now anyway. Correct me if I’m wrong.

My usual response to the question has undergone a bit of a change after a wee bit of a rain check. I had to ask myself, why do people always ask me that question. The answer was simple. Obviously I wasnt communicating well enough for people to understand my take on the debate regarding Moriori, Rekohu, Treaty issues, Ngati Mutunga, Wharekauri, History, alienation, assimmilation, dispossession, murder, theft, and general skullduggery; not to mention the slavery, poverty, cultural and physical genocide and a whole range of other things, far too unsavoury to mention.

As far as I know, and between you and me, I’ve read quite a few bits and pieces over the past year ( and a few more years to boot) and I can quite happily say that nowhere have I read about Moriori complaining about what Te Ati Awa did to them.

What Moriori do have an issue with is not what Maori did to them in 1835 but what successive Governments and NZ society did to them since then.

I think that deep down (actually probably not that far) Moriori know and many will admit that what Maori did in 1835 was only what their (Maori) custom dictated them to do. Unfortunately for Moriori, those customs didnt quite match up to Moriori customs or beliefs.

At the end of the day, the Maori invasion of Rekohu was a deliberate planned move on the part of Te Ati Awa, and in retrospect probably done with the full knowledge of the provisional governing bodies at the time. But that was fine. That was what they did. They had just had their own butts kicked out of Taranaki, so why not head off to where the kai was plentiful and the locals didnt or wouldnt fight. It would have seemed like a bit of a holiday after the previous few years for them. In several accounts that I have read, it was a choice between conquering Rekohu or heading up to Samoa and taking the Samoans on. Its probably just as well for Te Ati Awa, that the chartered ship headed Southeast out of Port Nicholson and not to the North, because it may have been a different outcome for them. Sadly for Moriori they did.

The manner of what they did, should also not invite blame. Once again it was business as usual. These people were warrior people, not travelling vacuum cleaner salesmen. They went to Rekohu and kicked butt, because that was what they did.

Where society has (repeatedly) let Moriori down, was that there were Europeans living right there on Rekohu, amongst Moriori in some cases and all stood by and let the initial slaughter and invasion happen.

Okay, so that too might be understandable. 900 Maori warriors in full battle mode, claiming all in their path, in fact racing to beat the other tribe to the spoils. 1561 unarmed and non-combatant Moriori in some cases gracefully receiving their fate, in others, being hunted down and murdered, the remainder shepherded up like animals. I guess you could understand that initial reluctance on the part of the Europeans to interfere with what was obviously (to them) an inter-tribal dispute?

Now we get to the gnarlier parts.

But with all of the above aside… with no particluar blame attached, …. maybe an acknowledgement that.. “ok, now that wasnt very nice behaviour, but I guess that youve been living like that for a few hundred years or more, and fighting is what you do, and you guys, well you should have put up a bit more of a struggle, cos ya know you could have had em” 

With all that aside, how did the rest of the “civilised” (and I use that sparingly) country of New Zealand manage to sit aside and then allow the hundred and fifty plus years of racism and intolerance, slavery, assimmilation and genocide to occur. Some might say, “well we didnt know”.

Bollocks.

Moriori were not and are not the inferior intellect that many early ethnologists explained them as, thereby justifying the fact that white New Zealand condoned Maori  keeping them as slaves and concubines and holding their lives in their hands and often taking their lives. This was after slavery was abolished in New Zealand. And by the way for those of you who dont know where Rekohu is: it is actually a part of New Zealand and lies to the South east of Christchurch. It’s actually been a part of NZ since 1842. Slavery wasnt eliminated there until 1863, even though the Treaty, that wonderful “founding” document of this great racially inclusive nation of ours, sort of spells out that the  natives shouldnt be slaves.

Oh yes, but Moriori are not covered by the treaty are they? They didnt sign it, they couldnt have, they were busy running around after their Maori masters, so how could they have signed the Treaty?

They didnt, but it was well done of you to ask the question. Neither did a whole heap of mainland Maori tribes sign the Treaty.

The answer is in the wording of the Treaty. Have a look and see how many times you can find reference to the Treaty being just about Maori. From memory, I think you will find that the treaty is a deal between the crown and the natives and chiefs of New Zealand, and as Rekohu was included in NZ in 1842, and Moriori were and still are the “natives” (tchakat henu actually)of those sunny isles, ergo they must be covered by the good old Treaty of Waitangi, which ironically enough is the comon use name of the main township on Rekohu, although it is a Maori name and the original Moriori name is Waiteke, but placenames are another story.

So here is a quite good sized chunk of New Zealand citizens, in abject slavery, many murdered, many eaten, all forbidden to congregate, marry each other, have children, own land, total slavery, and everybody sat back and watched.

The Government even actively participated in the genocide some 35 years later by allowing a land court sitting to strip away the land through the courts thereby reinforcing and legitimising everything that had happened.

None of these actions were in the cultural vocabulary of Moriori. Moriori had a peaceful philosophy and had done for hundreds of years. Moriori had abolished warfare, even though they came from a volatile homeland (reportedly about the same time as Maori came to New Zealand) and lived in harmony with the environment and each other. So when the Maori arrived and the Moriori helped them recover from their sea voyage and the Maori subsequently turned on them, younger Moriori wanted to fight, but their own beliefs, developed over hundreds of years forbade them from retaliating, so they didnt.

I wonder if Mahatma Ghandi or Mandela knew about Nunuku’s law?

So whilst murder and warfare were in the cultural vocabulary of both the Maori and the colonial powers, they were unknown to Moriori.

Repeated written pleadings to the Governor fell on deaf ears. Scientific studies, both ethnographical and botannical mention Moriori and their plight, all published, but yet no-one in authority did anything to help. Slaves were removed from Rekohu and transported to the bleak and inhospitable  Auckland Islands as part of a doomed experiment in Maori expansionism, watched over by colonial expansionism. Many of these Moriori were never returned to Rekohu, with most ending up on Rakiura (Stewart Island).

There is simply no excuse for historically saying “we didnt know”.

Nowhere in todays schools are we taught anything about this fascinating part of New Zealands early history, although previous mention of Moriori by offical publications also helped perpetuate the myth that Moriori were an inferior and “indolent” race if they actually ever existed. Speaking of myths, that has been one of the most effective methods employed to destabilise the history and culture of Moriori and foil any attempts by the Moriori people to reassert themselves as a people.

Myth: Moriori never existed.

Answer: wow. One wonders then, who was living on Rekohu in 1791 when the Brig Chatham arrived, because they sure werent “Maoris” (in the strictest sense of the word)and they had a different dialect, appearance, culture, traditions, art, and no contact with mainland NZ and they had been there for many hundrds of years.

Myth: Moriori were invented by the colonial government to legitimise colonisation of NZ

Answer: Wow. So because Maori conquered Moriori, that made it alright for the pakeha to conquer Maori. Bollocks, that may be a percieved position to take in a  debate but it really is bollocks.

Myth: There are no Moriori

Answer: Wow. Wrong again! The last full-blooded Moriori was recorded as dying in 1933. Now some will argue even that point, but whatever the accuracy of that statement, and I have seen no evience to contradict that by the way, that gentleman had descendants. I have seen the hokopapa charts (genealogy to you white folks, or whakapapa to Maori) and guess what? There are heaps of Moriori around New Zealand and Australia (and a few further afeild than that too). The Moriori Imi (thats Iwi to Maori and I guess ‘tribe’ to you Pakeha) has quite a large congregation, which is growing  as more  and more people waken to their heritage and trace their legitimate hokopapa.

There are possibly even more to come, as Moriori were known to have travelled (stowed) away on whaling and sealing ships to all corners of the globe, many never to return.

Myth: Moriori were an inferior race of low intellect.

Answer: Wow. Bollocks. I have read this in many articles from supposedly esteemed scientific authors, and it is beyond me how such a statment can be written about a people. I can understand how you can say that about an individual, but a whole race of people? Wow! Some quantify the statement with the excuse that they must be of inferior intellect to have been conquered by a lesser number of Maori, and others base their assessment on the condition that they first saw Moriori in (post 1835). If you had just witnessed the murder and cannabilisation of family members, been imprisoned, beaten, deprived of ALL of your basic human rights, you probably wouldnt be feeling too flash either. Certainly not up to a game of chess with an arrogant ethnologist trying to establish your mental accuity.

Myth: Moriori are just another Maori tribe trying to get in on the “Treaty” windfall

Answer: Wow. Actually, if you take the time to read the Waitangi Tribunal’s report on Rekohu (Moriori and Ngati Mutunga) you might (as I was) be impressed by the way in which the above myths were dealt with. Where I (personally) think that they got it a wee bit wrong, was over this particular myth, but that might have been a legal way to permit them to handle Moriori claims. I guess if they had said that Moriori were not Maori (note the use of the capital as opposed to maori) then some bright spark would have challenged them through the courts. Anyway getting back to the myth at hand:

Acccording to the Waitangi Tribunal and others throughout the years, Moriori originated from the same place as Maori (Hawaiiki, which may be Tonga, Fiji,Hawaii,Rarotonga Easter Island, actually anywhere in polynesia) (but generations earlier) and left the mainland (NZ) about the same time as Maori arrived there.

Maori from Hawaiiki (and lets just pretend for the sake of argument that Hawaiiki is really Tonga) came to NZ and settled here and through that settlement and their occupation in relative isolation from their homeland they became Maori (rather than just Tongans living abroad).

At the time that they arrived, the Moriori  headed out for Rekohu, settling there in complete isolation, developing their own culture and beliefs. Yet the Waitangi tribunal, identified that Maori (mainland) are not simply “Tongans” (for example) but have developed ther own identity and have become Maori, a seperate race. Yet the Moriori who have lived in isolation for the same amount of time are identified by the Waitangi Tribunal as Maori, or at least a tribe of Maori.

Surely they deserve the same distinction of a seperate race, otherwise Maori cant be Maori either? Its all very confusing really.

The Waitangi Tribunal got it right though when they said that Moriori really were the indigenous people or Tchakat Henu of Rekohu. They also said that through occupation of 170 odd years, that Ngati Mutunga were also Tangata Whenua.

Today, Moriori are still being marginalised and discriminated against and denied their status as a unique people and original inhabitants of Rekohu. The majority of place names in common use around the island are either Pakeha or Maori, Moriori do not have the opportunities that Maori have with regard to identity in offical documents, instead being relegated to filling out the “other” category, and Moriori re (reo) which was recorded in the mid 1800’s is not an official language of New Zealand, yet it surely predates Maori Reo, even if only a dialect and not a seperate language.

Moriori recieve no recognition in offical publications in our schools, and our teachers are under no obligation to mention even the existence of Moriori in the classrooms of this great inclusive nation of ours. Some school atlases do not even have Rekohu in them.

This is the United Nations Decade of Indigenous people, with the purpose of drawing Native people into decision making, participation and opportunities for acceptance alongside mainstream culture. A seperate and unique people living among the rest.

Moriori are emerging as a people from under the clouds of obscurity and suffering that were heaped upon them, but mainly under their own power and through a peaceful insistence that they be recognised as a people and through playing the game that a colonised society forces them to learn. Justice through the Courts and appeals to Governments have historically fallen on deaf ears. Lately (decades)though with a more sympathetic approach to Maori from Government, Moriori have repeatedly taken a legal position and used the Treaty to its full effect to at least claw back some of which they were deprived of. They will never be given back anywhere near enough of the 97% of the Islands which were stolen  through the land court sittings back in the 1870’s, but with appropriate redress they will make a point and hopefully our own Government of today and tomorrow will listen and acknowledge Moriori as a seperate people, who just happen to be Tchakat Henu of Rekohu. Perhaps even Government Departments might even include reference to Moriori in their publications, as they do to Maori. One day we may even see mention of Moriori in the forewords of all education pubications as we do with Maori.

Who knows; maybe  a Moriori member of Parliament, or how about a guaranteed Moriori Seat in the House of Representatives. Why not? Maori get a few.

This debate is not about what Maori get, versus what Moriori dont though. Its about justice and redress and fixing the wrongs and ultimately about including Moriori in our society and stop marginalising them. As the late David Lange said: “Moriori are a people. They exist. They will not go away”. Recognise it. Embrace the peaceful philosophies of one of our indigenous peoples.

The ironic, impressive and (for me) overwhelming thing about the whole issue is the way in which Moriori have dealt with the continued oppression: no jumping up and down, no protests, no hikoi’s no threats, no violence or terrorism:

just …..

Peace, pride, determination and as I have come to realise of late; mana! 

Me rongo (In peace)

Have you ever considered that the Chatham Islands might be the best “out of the way” spot for a holiday this summer? The beaches of Rekohu are spectacular and the scenery is delightful. If you dont believe me, have a look at this site then. While you are there check out the ‘culture’ page as well and see what the Chatham Island culture is all about. Moriori European and Maori influences all combine together to form the culture of the islands.

The Moriori people are infamous for their peaceful history and Nunuku’s ‘covenant of peace’ which was a law brought forth by the chief Nunuku hundreds of years ago.

Moriori hokopapa or genealogy goes back hundreds of years and through many generations. During this period Moriori transformed from  fierce and capable warriors, to a non-combatant people living in harmony with each other and the environment on Rekohu. This existence was uninterrupted until  1791 when Europeans ‘re-discovered’ the islands, beginning a series of events that would result in the destruction of many of the resources that Moriori had carefully marshalled for generation after generation. Ultimately, in only 142 years, it was to lead to the believed extinction of a whole ‘race’ of people. In 1933 the last known full-blooded Moriori, Tame Horomona Rehe, more commonly known as Tommy Solomon, passed away.

The covenant of peace, or Nunuku’s Law is forming the core of a Moriori renaissance on Rekohu as descendents of Tommy Solomon and other Moriori are rekindling the candle of peace. The construction of Kopinga Marae (meeting house) has been a huge step on the path to revitalising the Morori people and taking their rightful place in Chatham Island and New Zealand history, society and culture.

Visitors to the islands are always amazed by the opportunities to see and study Moriori history and culture, presumably because they think that Moriori are extinct.

Moriori are Moriori and they are a living people.

Pitt island also has some pretty awesome scenery. Check out these two pages ( Pitt1, Pitt2) for some fantastic photgraphs of Pitt Island and then contact education-resources.co.nz for details on how and where to stay on the Chathams and Pitt Island.

For the best in visitor experiences to Rekohu, try the Rekohu Experience. Contact Chatham Lodge for a quote on your next package holiday deal. You might be pleasantly surprised.

“Experience Rekohu with the Rekohu Experience.”

Chatham Lodge is the number one tourist destination on Rekohu and is the venue that best suits the discerning traveller.

Moriori today

Despite the events of the previous century, Moriori resumed positions of prominence on Rēkohu (Chatham Island) in the 20th century, through to today.. Tame Horomona Rehe (Tommy Solomon) was a successful businessman and farmer in the 1920s and early 1930s. Other descendants of Moriori, notably the Davis and Preece families, were influential in local government and community affairs from the 1940s. More recently descendants have been involved in claims to the Waitangi Tribunal and in the development of Moriori organisations, such as the Tchakat Henu Association and the current Hokotehi Moriori Trust.

Hokotehi are the legally mandated body that represent Moriori in their dealings with the crown and among their many responsibilities, are responsible for ensuring that the cultural renaissance of Moriori continues. 

Moriori are engaged in a vigorous cultural revival which began with a New Zealand television documentary in 1980. In dispelling some long-held myths, it raised the consciousness of many Moriori descendants. Among the fallacies laid to rest were;

·         that the Moriori were a separate race, distinct from Polynesians,

·         and that they had died out completely.

It triggered a wave of activity that began in 1985 with the raising of a statue on Rēkohu of Tommy Solomon, the last full-blooded Moriori.

In 2005 the Kopinga Marae was opened by the Prime Minister of New Zealand, giving offical recognition to Moriori as a people and as the original inhabitants of the islands. 

 Hokotehi have worked to increase  the asset base for Moriori and have completed purchases of Kaingaroa farm, Henga Farm, Chatham Lodge and have a joint venture intitiative going with Ngai Tahu at Whangaroa Seafoods.

One of the exciting prospects for Moriori is the development of the “Rekohu Experience”, incorporating a range of unit plans and activities for educators to teach, and school camps opportunities, using Kopinga marae as the base for school groups from around the world.

Chatham Lodge also offers the opportunity for unique cultural tours building on the close relationship between hosting at the Lodge and at the Marae.

Click on the following links to check out the website of Education Resources, which has been built by Kopi Holdings Ltd to highlight these opportunities.

Invasion

So what did happen way back in 1835?

Well the situation on Rekohu at the time was something like this: There were some 1700 Moriori living there, and some 30 odd European sealers, two or three New Zealand Maori and one or two ‘others’ of mixed ancestry or origin. Either way the peaceful Moriori were the dominant and  most prodigious race present.

At this time there were several tribes of Maori living in Port Nicholson, (Wellington) New Zealand, some of whom traditionally resided there and others who had fled there after warfare in their own lands had forced them to vacate. It was of the latter that Ngati Mutunga and Ngati Tama belonged, having been forced to retreat from their Taranaki homelands and venture south to Poneke, or Wellington.

They had intended sailing to and invading Samoa but opted instead for the Chatham Islands, after they heard that it was a land of Kai, where the eels, swans and seafood  were abundant, and more importantly the local people did not know how to fight.

They set forth on two separate voyages, having ‘chartered’ the European sailing vessel; the Rodney, and landed at the Chathams after several days at sea. The first group landed were very sick form their voyage and they were well looked after and nursed by their Moriori hosts.

The ship returned to Port Nicholson and retrieved the second group, returning with them after a couple of weeks.

This occured 24 generations after the Moriori chief Nunuku, had forbidden war. Moriori had been a passive people for hundreds and hundreds of years and inter-tribal fighting had ceased to exist during that time. Even violence between individuals was limited to duelling with wooden staffs until the first one retired or blood was drawn. This was enough to satisfy ‘mana’ and maintain respect.

Many people make the mistake of thinking that Moriori did not know how to fight, or that they did not possess weapons. Both suppositions are flawed. Moriori had ample weapons and trained in the use of them. Even though the weapons and the training were largely ceremonial, they certainly had the ability to protect themselves, if they so chose.

When the Maori visitors revealed their hostile intentions by embarking on their reign of terror called takahi: “walking the land,” Moriori were stunned. They had not seen this sort of violence for over seven hundred years and it went against everything they collectively and individually believed in. To take someones life or shed their blood unneccessarily was to break tapu, committing the ultimate sacrilige. 

To the Maori invaders, this was easy. They had endured years and years of inter-tribal warfare in their native Taranaki and their customs and history dictated that conquest through force was the honorable way to subdue an enemy, and that taking a weaker tribes’ land was the normal course of things.

They killed several hundred Moriori. Many were eaten and the rest were enslaved. Protest was met with a tomohawk blow to the back of the head. In one ‘oven’ alone, over 50 Moriori were roasted. On one section of Waitangi beach, the bodies were laid together, touching, for over a quarter of a kilometre. The fact that Moriori did not respond with force may have further enraged the Maori conquerors, as they respected those enemies that were brave and noble warriors. Not those that either ran and hid, or sat waiting for the end.

At one stage during this conquest, shocked by the events unfolding around them, Moriori called a council of 1,000 men at Te Awapātiki to discuss what to do. The younger men were keen to repel the invaders and argued that even though they had not fought for many centuries, they outnumbered the newcomers two to one and were a strong people. But the elders argued that Nunuku’s Law was a sacred covenant with their gods and could not be broken.  Unfortunately for them, the Maori found out about this meeting and quickly sought to stamp out any opportunities for rebellion. They intensified their attacks and the consequences for Moriori were devastating.

Although the total number of Moriori first slaughtered was said to be around 300, hundreds more were enslaved and later died. Some were killed by their captors. Others, horrified by the desecration of their beliefs, died of ‘kongenge’ or despair. According to records made by elders, 1,561 Moriori died between 1835 and 1863, when they were finally released from slavery. Many succumbed to diseases introduced by Europeans, but large numbers died at the hands of Ngāti Mutunga and Ngāti Tama. In 1862 only 101 remained. When the last known full-blooded Moriori died in 1933, many thought this marked the extinction of a race. During this period, Moriori, seeing that they were about to be annihilated, offered to share the resources and bounties of Rekohu with their aggressive visitors. This would also have been seen as another indication of their weakness in the eyes of the invading foreces. From the 1850s Moriori elders petitioned New Zealand’s governor for recognition of their status as original inhabitants of the islands, and for restoration of the lands taken from them. However, it was not until 1863, 23 years after the Treaty of Waitangi was signed, that Moriori were officially released from slavery by mainland Māori, in a proclamation by the resident magistrate of the Chatham Islands. In 1870 a Native Land Court was set up on Rēkohu to investigate competing claims by Moriori and Māori. By this time almost all Māori had returned to Taranaki. But the court ruled largely in favour of the absentee Māori, awarding 97.3% of the lands to Ngāti Mutunga by applying the legal rule that those in occupation in 1840 had greatest rights. No account was given to the long ancestral and peaceful occupation by Moriori.The unfairness of the authorities attitudes towards Moriori have long baffled many scholars and historians, and have contributed towards the perpetration and continuation of a range of myths regarding Moriori.  This attitude has only began to soften in the last decade, with Moriori using the courts and land claims systems to reclaim what is rightfully theirs. The education system in New Zealand (to date) has done nothing for Moriori. Political correctness has afforded every amenity to Maori and New Zealand now has two official languages, and most official publications, laws and documents all refer to the treaty partner: Maori. Ironically though, Maori arent the only treaty partner. It was only through the challenge of Ngai Mutunga to Morioris’ Waitangi Tribunal claims, began in 1994, that this author became aware that the Treaty doesn’t specifically guarantee protection, partnership or participation for Maori. It guarantees it for “the native peoples and their chiefs.” Moriori fit that description. The Chatham Islands have been a part of New Zealand since 1842 and the Moriori have been living there for over 800 years, probably longer. Its really a ‘no brainer.’ Moriori are entitled to the same protections and poltical correctness that Maori currently enjoy. The new school curriculum which comes out in September this year will have a foreword reaffirming the partnership between Maori and the Crown, where it should be re-affirming the partnership either between all natives and the Crown, OR between Maori, Moriori and the Crown.But arent Moriori just another tribe of Maori?

No! Thats another myth. As insulting as the one that graced the front of a prominent Canterbury newspaper once that said :Moriori, Myth or Legend? and purported that Moriori were an invention to discredit Maoris’ claims over Treaty negotiations. Or the one that purported Moriori to be invented by the Maori as a way to destabilise Governments positions on land claims issues. These successful attempts to discredit Moriori as a people have been so effective that not that long ago, being Moriori was something to be ashamed of

The facts are that Moriori and Maori share similar backgrounds. They probably came from the same or similar origins, but generations apart. It is generally accepted that Moriori came to the Chathams about that same time as todays Maori ancestors arrived in New Zealand. They came to Rekohu, but not necessarily through New Zealand.

In 1852 a group of their elders had many of their myths and legends and genealogy recorded by a European living on the islands at the time and their stories of discovery of the Islands and their recorded oral hokopapa (genealogy) supported the stories of discovery and settlement.

Whilst many aspects of the language of Moriori are similar to that of Maori, there are differences perplexing enough that early scholars and linguists wrote that the language dictates that they are a seperate race. Moriori do not see theselves as Maori, they are Moriori.

But didnt they all die?

The last known full-blooded Moriori, Tame Horomona Rehe (Tommy Solomon) died in 1933. His childrens children live on and today his descendants are many, and all able to claim their Moriori ancestry. Additionally, there were many Moriori that were relocated to Stewart Island and then New Zealand, that had either Maori or European partners and children to them. The descendants of those children are also able and entitled to claim their Moriori ancestry. The membership of Hokotehi Moriori Trust grows steadily as many people are becoming aware of the renaissance of the culture and the fact that being Moriori in this crazy world is a heritage to be proud of.

The Government of today has acknowledged Moriori as a people, through words and actions in some cases, but because of political necessity, still chooses to ignore the difference between Moriori and Maori.

This continued oversight, which is not much different to that attitude taken by the colonial governors, when Moriori were suffering under the genocidal slave system of their conquerors, continues to encourage those that would benefit from the disappearance of the Moriori again. Today, people actively agitate for Moriori to be dispossessed of that which they are legally entitled to, through a new round of misinformation and propoganda. One rumour doing the rounds is that Moriori are actually early ancestors of Ngati Mutunga. Considering that this rumour is the first that this writer has heard of this relationship between the two groups, and my research, although not complete, has been fairly comprehensive, this also begs the question of the way in which they chose in 1835, to get re-acquainted with their long lost relations, that had been separated from them for over 800 years.

Moriori themselves, do not agree with this version. Those perpetrating this new view should re-read the Waitangi Tribunals findings and their report on Rekohu and they will find that:          a) the Tribunal doesnt see that relationship                         b) Moriori are not Maori, but maori in a descriptive sense, ie: a seperate race              c) Moriori are the original people of the Chatham Islands  NOT Ngati Mutunga, although they do recognise Ngati Mutunga as having tangata whenua status, through their occupation of the islands of 170 years.

What is unsettling about this type of misinformation is that Government agencies are content to sit back and allow it to happen.Those pushing the spurious claims are free to do so and it is left to Moriori to clarify the truth to the public. And it is to the general public of New Zealand that Moriori does have to defend itself to. Remember that Before Michael King wrote his book Moriori: a People Rediscovered, there were no definitive accounts of what happened, nor of who Moriori were/are.

The last offical publication from the Government or government department agreed with the story that Moriori were a myth. That story went out to literally every school in the country. It was that type of misinformation that reinforced to the average New Zealander that the Moriori did not exist. Unfortunately because the Government continues with its inaction on this subject, the misinformation continues.

This writer sat in the public gallery of the House of Parliament in 1992 and heard someone ask the Minister of Maori affairs: “What about Moriori?” His response was:”What about them. What are they?” The whole house laughed/ That is the attitude that has traditionally precluded any official reception for Moriori by central Government. 

It has been encouraging that the current Minister for Conservation and on occasion, the Prime Minister, have both spoken out positively about Moriori and hopefully this may continue.

However, as long as the misinformation continues, so will the marginalisation of the country’s most peaceful citizens.

Governments come and go, but the story of these proud and peaceful people is destined to become a guiding light in this unsettled world.

Govenrments have a responsibility to all of their citizens, not just to the biggest blocks of voters.

In the next report we will discuss ways in which the Government should be responding to Moriori.

In 2005 The Prime Minister of New Zealand, The Right Honourable Helen Clark, opened the new Kopinga Marae. This was the first time that Moriori have had such acknowledgement of their place in society, history and in the culture of New Zealand. For over 160 years, Moriori have suffered from enslavement, vilification, death and despair.

Today the descendants of those few that survived into the late 1800s are responsible for the renaissance of their culture.

During the Land Court sittings on Rekohu in the mid to late 1800’s Maori were awarded 97% of the land on the Chathams,and Moriori just 3%.

Today, Moriori have bought back a small percentage of what was taken from them under a different cultures customs.

Moriori assets now include, Henga: Lodge and Farm, Kaingaroa Farm, Kopinga Marae, Shared management with the Department of Consevation of Taia farm, and a joint venture stake in Whangaroa seafoods factory at Whangaroa harbour (Port Hut).

Moriori have fought against myths and lies to re-establish their identity, but the hardest battle for Moriori as a people has been the complete indifference of successive New Zealand Governments to their plight. Indifference and inaction has proven to be just as effective at repression as the inaction of the Government back in the 1800s when Moriori were being eaten and murdered.  

Hokotehi Moriori Trust is the Iwi group that represents Moriori today and has been responsible for the successful claims through the Waitangi Tribunal, construction of the Marae and stewardship of the various assets that Moriori now own.

Hokotehi have also began the creation of a range of websites designed to raise the profile of Moriori culture across the education spectrum, primarily in New Zealand, but secondly globally. The reason behind the global approach?

Moriori have had a “Covenent of Peace” which has been the centre of their existence for hundreds of years. This creed, enabled them to keep their mana, when faced with annihilation in 1835. It is this same creed that other nations of the world should adopt and it is the same creed that Ghandi, Mandela, the Dalai Lama and many others have discovered and promoted hundreds of years after Moriori first began to follow it.

Make no mistake. Moriori were not a race of non-combatant, easy living natives, living on a south Pacific island. They were originally a very warlike people, often at war with neighbouring tribes, and even after their migration to the Chatham Islands, about the same time as when Maori arrived in New Zealand, they still fought among themselves.

It was one of their Ieriki, (chiefs) called Nunuku, who made the proclamation some 23 generations before 1852, that outlawed the killing of another. Since then Moriori have followed this creed.

In the next issue we will discuss the events of the 1835 invasion and see why there should be no blame apportioned to those involved, only on those who sat by and watched. 

Me Rongo

Map of Rekohu

Welcome to this first blog of the new Chatham Islands site. On this site and in future blogs you will find information on the history, cultures and environment of this exciting and unique island group.

Known to the Moriori, who have lived there for many hundreds of years, as Rekohu, the Chatham Islands were “re-discovered” by Europeans in 1791. The Chatham Islands are about 800 kilometres off the coast of New Zealand.

Rekohu means ‘misty skies’, which is a fairly accurate description of the Islands during the autumn and winter months.

The Moriori lived there, undisturbed for much of their known history, even when the family histories (hokopapa) go back to the original settlers who came here from Polynesia or mainland New Zealand, about the same time as the ancestors of todays Maori settled in New Zealand, they refer to people already living there.  

With a current population of about 700 people, of mixed Moriori, Maori and European descent, the Chatham Islands are experiencing a growing tourism industry as people slowly begin to learn about all of the amazing and unique plants and birdlife and spectacular scenery that the islands have to offer.

Check back soon for the latest update.