The Maoris' first major encounter with Europeans came with James Cook's arrival in present-day New Zealand in 1769. By 1800, ships from Europe were arriving with increasing frequency.

In this new activity from History Study Center (free trial), learn about the conflicted interactions between the Maoris and their European colonizers.


Maori King Tawhiao
® Getty Images

One positive result of the influx of Europeans to New Zealand was a rapid growth in Maori literacy. Less benign, however, was the introduction of muskets to intertribal warfare. Although the Treaty of Waitangi (1840), which granted the British sovereignty over New Zealand, gave Maoris rights as British citizens, many Maori chiefs did not sign. Also, settlers routinely ignored the treaty's provisions, which led to land disputes.

Disputes over land soon soured relations and resulted in the New Zealand Wars (c. 1843-72), in which British forces prevailed. Thereafter, diseases and poverty significantly reduced the Maori population.

However, despite the enduring problem of reconciling national and tribal identities, the 20th century has seen a Maori revival, with participation in both world wars, racial integration, a political alliance with the Labour Party, and land restitution all as contributory factors.

Learning Activity

1. Assign students to read "The Maoris in New Zealand History" ("The Marginalisation of Maori Women" is another possibility), which describes the treatment of the Maoris by the British and other Europeans who colonized New Zealand.
   
   Have students look at the relationship between these two groups and pay special attention to how the colonizers viewed those whom they colonized.
   
   
2. Lead a discussion or have students write an essay exploring the following question: How does a dominant majority justify creating and/or maintaining social inequality in relationship to less powerful minorities?
   
   Students may use specific ideas or passages from the essay to support their contentions.

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