Why are the Maori people of New Zealand notoriously viewed by the British in the early 19th century as cannibals and savages? It can be argued that early interactions between the Maori and British created misunderstandings. These misunderstandings only brought upon violence.
For example, the mistreatment of a young Maori chief by the British sparked a massacre of British sailors by the Maori. This was publicized in British periodicals which exaggerated the cruelty of the Maori while excluding the Maori’s rationale for their attack of the British. One Maori figure of interest in this event is chief Te Pahi because he was attributed to ordering the killing of all these sailors.
However, after researching Te Pahi’s past, I believe this action of his does not seem to be in character with his personality as he was helping Reverend Samuel Marsden spearhead a Christian mission in New Zealand and was in good standing with the British prior to the event. Ultimately, it is inconclusive whether or not Te Pahi was innocent because he died before he could be put to trial; however, this blog post will discuss how the events surrounding the Boyd massacre and the publications of this story through British perspectives established and reinforced negative stereotypes of the Maori people after the event.
Early History:
New Zealand was first discovered by Europeans in 1769 by Captain James Cook. However, it wasn’t until the early 1800s that the British people began to intentionally interact with native peoples – like the Maori. Early interactions with the Maori were due to trade. Although, there was already an active British whaling community along the coast at this time, British sailors traveled to New Zealand in hopes to trade the Maori for lumber, sweet potatoes, flax, and other natural resources. The British traded their guns, nails, and other tools in exchange for these goods (William, 1829).
The British presence in New Zealand, however, eventually upset many Maori people. This is because many Europeans overstepped their welcome by later building permanent settlements along the coasts that were on Maori land (McNab, 1914). In addition, missionaries also upset the Maori with their aim to convert them to Christianity (Ballara, 1990). Misunderstandings between the Maori and British arose, and as a result, violence between the Maori and the British developed.
Boyd Ship Massacre:
In December 1809, arguably the most violent episode between the British and Maori occurred. An event coined the “Boyd massacre” developed when the Maori residents of Whangaroa Harbour in northern New Zealand killed and ate between 66 and 70 Europeans from the brigantine convict ship Boyd (Destruction of the Boyd, 1810). The massacre is thought to have been sparked by an earlier event in which British sailors of the Boyd starved and whipped a young Maori chief by the name of Te Ara who was traveling on the ship with them. This is reputedly the highest number of Europeans killed by the Maori in a single event in New Zealand, and the incident is also one of the bloodiest instances of cannibalism on record.
In retribution, European whalers attacked the “pa” or defensive settlement of chief Te Pahi about 60 km south-east, in the mistaken belief that he ordered the killings. Between 16 to 60 Maori and one European died in the clash (Burning of the Boyd, 2018). Te Pahi survived the event, and in an attempt to prove his innocence from his attachment to the Boyd massacre, Te Pahi set out to attack the original Whangaroa Maori tribe he believed was responsible for the massacre. However, in this battle, one of the Whangaroa Maori speared Te Pahi and he died shortly after from this wound (Ballara, 1990).
With this all being said, Te Pahi was obviously unable recount his own story to the British regarding his attachments to the event, and historians today are only able to infer whether or not Te Pahi was connected to the Boyd Ship massacre through the opposing accounts of two British individuals: Captain Berry and Reverend Marsden. Berry claimed that Te Pahi actively initiated the orders for attack while Marsden claimed that Te Pahi was an innocent bystander who happened to be caught in the middle while trading with the Whangarou Maori at this time (McNab, 1914). I would argue that Te Pahi was innocent because he had a longstanding relationship with the British prior to the massacre.
Te Pahi, a Controversial Character:
To give context, Te Pahi was one of the senior chiefs of the north-western Bay of Islands. His principal pa was on a small island called Te Pahi’s Island. In 1805, Te Pahi traveled to Port Jackson (Sydney), Australia to visit King Philip, lieutenant governor of Norfolk Island who had a reputation for generosity towards the Maori (Ballara 1990). Te Pahi was hoping to us his connection with European officials to better the positioning of the Maori. He thought that by learning from them, he could teach his fellow Maori industry and “better ways of farming” (Ballara, 1990).
When he visited Port Jackson, Te Pahi also met Samuel Marsden, chaplain of New South Wales. He attended church services regularly and had long discussions with Marsden on the subject of religion. Marsden was apparently so impressed with Te Pahi’s “clear, strong and comprehensive mind,” and his eagerness to learn about English laws and customs, that he began to plan the establishment of a church missionary society mission under Te Pahi’s protection in New Zealand. However, this was delayed due to the Boyd massacre and Te Pahi’s death shortly after.
The massacre also caused the number of shipping visits to fall to almost nothing over the next few years following the massacre. According to the Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser, one of the newspapers that sided with Captain Berry’s claim about Te Pahi, only five ships remained in service along the coasts of New Zealand until four years following the event (1990).
What does this Research tell us About the British Empire?
Ultimately, this research tells us a lot about the British Empire. It doesn’t, however, tell us a lot about the Maori perspective regarding their telling of the Boyd ship massacre as there was no written history at this time period from a Moari person. One can only infer what the perspectives of the Maori were through the lens of the British. I had wished to learn more about Te Pahi’s true role in the massacre; however, I could only infer what his role in the incident tells us about the British Empire.
The fact that Europeans believed so strongly that the Maori were cannibals and savages as publicized through the media without first understanding the Maori culture, tells us that the British people at this time period were ignorant to other’s beliefs. As stated before, many periodicals and journals published exaggerating the cruelty of the Maori. In addition, images in the media also had a strong influence on how Europeans viewed the Maori. In many images, Maori were displayed as barbaric-looking and wearing scanty dress (Maori War Ritual, 1848). However, this image was not completely accurate and representative of all Maori.
Trade during this time period allowed many Maori people to wear clothes manufactured in England. In addition, some Maori were educated by the British. Te Pahi arguably played a role in this time period as an intermediary figure that navigated between both British and Maori worlds after learning about British culture on his expeditions to Port Jackson. He, however, is remembered as being a savage chief who actively killed British sailors. This false barbaric image of Te Pahi was generalized as being true for all Maori; and the British only reinforced this negative stereotype of Maori to all Maori and neglected to make distinctions between Maori individuals.
Works Cited
Angela Ballara. 'Te Pahi', Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. New Zealand: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand, 1990.
“Destruction of the Boyd,” The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser. NSW: National Library of Australia. April. 21, 1810.
Ellis, William. Polynesian Researches During a Residence of Nearly Six Year in the South Sea Islands; Including Descriptions of the Natural History and Scenery of the Islands – with Remarks of the History, Mythology, Traditions, Government, Arts, Manners, and Customs of the Inhabitants. London: London Missionary Society, 1829.
Robert McNab. From Tasman to Marsden: A History of Northern New Zealand from 1642 to1818. Dunedin: J. Wilkie & Company, 1914.
Maori War Ritual. The British Library Board, 1848.
Smith, Percy. History and Traditions of the Maoris of the West Coast North Island of New Zealand Prior to 1840. New Plymouth: Polynesian Society, 1920.
“The Burning of the Boyd,” Polynesian Resource Center, accessed March 28, 2018,
http://polynesianresourcecenter.com/history/item/the-burning-of-the-boyd.
Ward, Robert. Life Among the Maories of New Zealand: Being a Description of Missionary, Colonial, and Military Achievements. London: G. Lamb, 1872.