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The South Pacific
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New Zealand History and Culture
As islands go, New Zealand is relatively young. The Maori, the native peoples of New Zealand, say that Kupe arrived in this South Pacific paradise from the Maori homeland just before the end of the first millennium, in 950 A.D. However, it wasn’t until nearly four centuries later that Maori arrived in earnest, bringing with them foodstuffs, animals, and other supplies that would allow them to make the islands their home. They lived in villages, or marae, growing tropical plants, tending to their animals, and establishing community in this new land.
Colonization (or Colonisation, if you prefer the British spelling)
The Maori lived in relative isolation until the first European settlers arrived in the mid-17th century. A Dutch explorer, Abel Tasman, was the first to lay eyes on what he called the “Great South Land.” However, Tasman never had the opportunity to step foot on the island as he was attacked by Maori tribesmen who killed four of his men. He is responsible, however, for giving the island its name (Staten Landt, later changed to New Zealand), though the Dutch East India Company considered his mission a failure.
Captain James Cook arrived more than a century later and completed three expeditions to the islands. He succeeded in mapping the country and learning much about its native plants and animals.
More Europeans arrived in the early-19th century, mostly whalers, followed by missionaries who taught the Maori to write down the words of their language for the first time. The Europeans, called Pakeha by the native tribes, brought not only knowledge to New Zealand but also weapons and disease. The Maori suffered at the hands of both and their population decreased greatly.
In 1840, New Zealand was officially declared a British colony with the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi. Many Maori tribe leaders, it is said, never understood what they were signing. More British arrived and towns and cities sprung up. Land disputes with Maori were frequent, leading to full-scale war by the 1860s. Maori land continued to be seized and the native population dwindled to less than 40,000 by the turn of the 20th century.
The Last Century
During the early 1900s, New Zealand was very much a British colony, fighting alongside their soldiers in the World Wars and other conflicts. After World War II, however, both New Zealand and Australian formed stronger ties with the U.S., joining them in both Korea and Vietnam.
Today, there’s been resurgence in interest in the Maori culture. The language is now recognized – alongside English – as an official language of New Zealand and efforts to amend bitterness over long-ago seized Maori land are frequent and sincere. In fact, much land has been returned to the Maori.
Talk about New Zealand becoming a republic of its own is normal conversation in this beautiful country, a “nuclear-free zone” concerned more with peacekeeping than war.
Tourism is on the rise, recently becoming the single largest source of foreign exchange in New Zealand. Top travel magazines dub New Zealand “the” place to go, especially for adventure travelers who seek a little something out of the ordinary.
Kiwis, as New Zealanders are called, are also eager for people to know that they’re not part of Australia – as a matter of fact, they’re separated by nearly 1,400 miles – very much their own country; rich in history and culture, and exuding beauty and adventure that is difficult to surpass.