68: The grim history of Maori trading ancestors preserved heads

I'll begin by highlighting the real emphasis... The Grim History of Maori trading ancestors heads.

Whilst it is true that many preserved heads were stolen, and articles continue to appear about the grim history of NZ’s stolen heads, let us make one thing clear...90% of preserved heads that headed overseas were traded by Maori for personal gain – mostly for muskets. I'll get to that in a moment. What isn't well known but is well recorded in history that hasn't yet been changed and where old books haven't all yet been taken off the shelves, is that as many heads were of slaves and enemies - not tribal leaders. And we will come back to that later.

New Zealand's' history should not, but is being altered slowly with an untruth to preserve some sort of sacred appearance of the nobility of the Maori. Many were. Maori were awesome warriors. They were cunning, but they had no qualms about killing, keeping slaves, infanticide, or eating their enemies. Chiefs heads were preserved and gave a certain 'mana' and protection to a village. But but the heads of enemies were displayed as well. It was a form of utu and often these heads were traded back for concessions at a time of ‘skirmish’. I say skirmish because prior to Maori gaining muskets, these 'wars' were small-time affairs with the death of 10-100 rather than 200-1000 at a time under Nga Puhi’s murderous rampages (an accurate description) up and down the length of Aotearoa.

Trading for muskets was a result of Nga Puhi needing them for their murderous rampages up and down the length of Aotearoa. We won't go into why, but revenge was a big part of Maori life. It was for honour that they sought out and took revenge upon their enemies. Europeans cannot understand honour in revenge killing but to European collectors, preserved heads were the ultimate curiosity and once a market was known, Maori learned that they could profit it from it. Yes, some were stolen - just as Maori stole items from the European.

It was not long before the trading of heads by Maori to Europeans was a common practice. But how could one sustain this new market? Well, you preserve your enemies heads. And when that market shrank, they began preserving the heads of slaves by giving them the moko (taboo anyway) and killing them for preserving and resale. Now this exercise would actually go against Maori beliefs for who should receive a moko, but hey - muskets were needed...and Nga Puhi's rampage provided the slaves for that purpose as well. Maori should be incensed at Nga Puhi for the whole affair but the practice was not limited to Nga Puhi, it is just that they carried out the majority of the sales. Yes, it was quite an industry at one time.

Many Maori will disagree with the above because they have been taught that Europeans stole every single one. That did not happen, but certain academics would change current written history to make it out they were all stolen, and in fact are doing so right now. Many of these preserved heads have now been returned to New Zealand in recent years. And that amazing fact is that Maori mourned over their enemies heads and those that were once slaves when they were returned from overseas in recent times. That is to be applauded and goes some way to righting the wrongs of common practice of inter-tribal slavery.

I know the pictures shown will make some Maori angry as they say they should not be displayed as it is culturally insensitive. Yet these same heads were displayed on poles as a common practice within villages...Chiefs at special times and events, and enemies to disgrace them ( in pre-European times, no slave heads were ever preserved). Early Europeans saw these heads openly and first hand. Yet if culture is important, why are they hidden away now? The past is the past, there no need to be ashamed of it.

But the 'grim history' isn't the heads being traded, but that Maori were the primary traders once they learned that profit could be made from them, That in itself is quite clever and Maori are a clever people and no one should say otherwise.