From the MTG: 'Chunk of wood' has a lot to say about New Zealand land wars

Piece of Hōne Heke's Flagpole. Photo / Collection of Hawke's Bay Museum's Trust, Ruawharo Tā-ū-rangi.

Opinion

By Te Hira Henderson

In the MTG collection is a small chunk of wood, which was on show in the recent On Art and Activism exhibition.

This piece of wood is part of a flagpole first cut down in July 1844, again in January 1845 (twice) and for the fourth time on March 11 of the same year. The final felling of this particular flagpole signalled a tipping point in the northern land-grab wars and the start of the New Zealand land-grab wars.

Once upon a time there was a young Christian lad by the name of Hōne Heke Pōkai, also a Ngā Puhi chief and warrior, who was educated at the Kerikeri Missionary School.

Hōne lived at Muriwhenua in his home town of Kororāreka (Russell). Kororāreka was known as Gomorrah, the brothel of the South Pacific, with a general inclination to vice and lawlessness.

Hōne is credited for cutting down this flag pole, which gained him a global reputation (fuelled by George Grey) as a rebel in the mainstream newspapers of the day. It was, of course, overlooked that the flag pole belonged to Hōne himself.

Hōne was actually influential in favour of the Treaty - he was in fact the first to sign.

Hōne's reasons for his action were because of the Crown not honouring the Treaty and not facilitating a partnership or allowing for self determination in one's own home.

Hōne observed Crown actions undermining Māori rangatiratanga, expedited by Captain James Stewart of the brig Elizabeth helping Te Rauparaha slaughter 450 natives in Akaroa and 1450 natives along the east coast of the south island.

Ngāpuhi tell of Hōne writing to Robert FitzRoy, the Governor-General of New Zealand in 1844, telling him to pack his bags and return to "Mother England" along with his British authority.

Robert took umbridge to this, wishing to remain in charge of Māori affairs. It is said that this resulted in Robert, with George Grey and some native turncoats, such as Tāmati Waka Nene, taking up arms against Hōne and his fellow Ngāpuhi tribesman.

Robert, George and Tamati, with the rest of the British forces, lost. They lost at Puketutu, again at Ōhaeawai, and also at Ruapekapeka. Controversy surrounds the battle end, but at Ruapekapeka, although George claimed victory, my understanding is that no-one was home when the British finally entered the pā, they had all gone to church.

All of this effort resulted in the colonials at Kororāreka being evacuated to Auckland. Ngāpuhi report that Hōne made it quite clear he would not harm any colonial Pākehā as he held no grudges against them. He in fact quite liked them, taking the view that "race relations would be solved in the bedroom", as Whina Cooper reiterated in 1974.

What Hōne objected to was the attitudes of Robert, George, the redcoat soldiers, and the Ngā Puhi turncoat sellouts.

This seemingly simple piece of wood from this flagpole in MTG signals the start of the New Zealand land-grab wars.

While the recognised land wars ended in 1870, skirmishes continued around the country until 1916 when Rua Kenana (Tūhoe and Ngāti Kahungunu) was marched off Maungapōhatu in the Urewera. Rua was a peaceful man who ordered his people not to retaliate.

This chunk of wood in MTG has a lot to say for itself.