2: The real Tangata Whenua

Tangata Whenua are what the original inhabitants called themselves.

When early Maori arrived in scattered vessels, over time, they began interacting and interbreeding. The children of those unions assumed the title in the same way the child of an immigrant born here refers to himself as those around him - a Kiwi.

When the main migrations came and overwhelming numbers subdued the ancients after initially interbreeding, Maori fully regarded themselves as the Tangata Whenua. This is quite reasonable for that is what they believed - in the same manner as the example above.

But Maori were not the first! They were the first to dominate the land in huge numbers, but they were not the first to populate these islands.

All mention of Tangata Whenua is based on the meaning of Maori being the first. But what does the word really mean?

Tangata Whenua means 'people of the land'. But as an old Waitaha man once told me...it's about the heart - not the blood. So if Maori regard themselves as Tangata Whenua, they are correct. If a Chinese man whose forefathers came here in 1856, believes he is Tangata Whenua, then he is correct. If anyone is born on this land, and regards themselves as part of it...technically they are Tangata Whenua - not in the Maori understanding, but certainly in relation to the original meaning and purpose of the word.

It is about the heart first...then the blood. For example, Maori living overseas are not people of the land because they are off the land by choice and their heart is elsewhere (usually for the money or the lifestyle). I would say the same of Australians living in the USA. Heart is what matters.

Over time, Maori ended up dominating the land through overwhelming numbers, assimilation, warfare and annihilation. And they were warring among themselves long before Europeans ever sailed by! When certain Maori tribes obtained muskets, they just continued their warlike activities they brought with them - to devastating effect. Domination...land...retribution (Utu) - that was the goal. This constant and provable activity, points to the real possibility they wiped out all previous inhabitants long before Europeans ever landed, and with the same spirit and heart as they later annihilated other tribes. So much for a united peoples! Maori were never united, even in regard to the treaty. Never forget that fact. They were always scattered and divided as tribes, never a complete nation. This is no different to the native Americans who we class as a group, yet they were never united (unless against the white man, as in the battle against Custer).

Now, Britain began to do the same thing - as in dominate. What goes around comes around it seems, and eventually a treaty was made with Maori. That treaty was made with the inhabitants of the land at that time...no one else. Therefore that treaty should be honoured, although no one seems to agree unilaterally exactly what it is supposed to say. Some tribes were opposed to the treaty, but now that money is involved they aren't.

All that aside, my goal is not about politics, the treaty, or even the Maori directly. It is about revealing the true original inhabitants to the point that Maori have to finally acknowledge - publicly, that they existed, and that their lands were taken by them in the same way lands have been taken by one Maori tribe from another, or that which has been happening between humans in many lands over thousands of years.

It must be pointed out that Europeans were not the first the take land from others in this country.

(There is some good old information on Waitaha to be found here if you can go to a library: Journal of the Polynesian society #135 September 1925 ... Thomas Avery, New Plymouth, NZ 1925)