The Land Wars: A Name for All
Liv Donovan-Grammer
What name should be given to the series of battles and events in 19th century New Zealand from 1845 to 1872? Academic debate has continued to wage over whether conflict should be deemed the ‘New Zealand Wars,’ ‘Māori Wars,’ ‘Anglo-Māori Wars,’ ‘Land Wars,’ or something else entirely. There can be no right or wrong answer, nor an easy one. But ‘Land Wars’ denotes a name that is inclusive of all races and is the most accurate to the wars then and now.
The wars are inseparable from the landscape on which they were fought, as evidenced by the Waikato War and Tauranga Campaign. Click on the map below for the battle sites, memorials, and other significant landmarks of the Land Wars. Each engagement marks the bravery and perseverance of the Kīngitanga, a collective of Māori tribes, who despite being outnumbered by the forces of the Colonial Government and faced with extensive equipment and technology, continued to fight, suggesting their central aim was to defend their land.
The wars are inseparable from the landscape on which they were fought, as evidenced by the Waikato War and Tauranga Campaign. Click on the map below for the battle sites, memorials, and other significant landmarks of the Land Wars. Each engagement marks the bravery and perseverance of the Kīngitanga, a collective of Māori tribes, who despite being outnumbered by the forces of the Colonial Government and faced with extensive equipment and technology, continued to fight, suggesting their central aim was to defend their land.
Prominent Historian James Belich popularised the name the New Zealand Wars, evincing an argument of sovereignty as the central cause of war. Belich placed the wars in a local New Zealand context as a contest for sovereignty. Challenging this narrative, another leading Historian Danny Kennan argued that for Māori, sovereignty is inseparable from the land. He reinvigorated the name Land Wars as a title which reflects the cause of war from both Pākehā and Māori perspectives. Keenan gives mana whenua as a causal factor for battle, which encompasses an authority over and a sacred bond to the land and explains that for Māori the wars are without end, as mana whenua is timeless. See Keenan’s website on the wars (http://newzealandwars.co.nz).
Please view the timeline below, which explores the contributing factors and impacts of the wars until today, specifically how discussions around raupatu, the confiscation of Māori land due to the Land Wars, continued. The fact that the presence of the wars can still be felt today reflects Keenan’s discussion of the enduring nature of mana whenua. Interact with the timeline by hovering the cursor above points.
Please view the timeline below, which explores the contributing factors and impacts of the wars until today, specifically how discussions around raupatu, the confiscation of Māori land due to the Land Wars, continued. The fact that the presence of the wars can still be felt today reflects Keenan’s discussion of the enduring nature of mana whenua. Interact with the timeline by hovering the cursor above points.
Land Wars as a name that represents both the causes and consequences of battle
Although other motivations lay behind the wars, land was the most central to conflict. The Colonial Government desired to open up the lands of the North Island for settlers, whilst Māori fought to defend their lands. After the devastating Battle of Rangiriri at the outset of the Waikato War, Māori had essentially no chance of winning the Land Wars. Māori motivation to fight in subsequent battles therefore clearly rooted from a desire to defend their land, rather than to seek to gain sovereignty over New Zealand. The consequences of conflict in the Waikato and Tauranga including raupatu, and more recently, settlements between the Crown and Māori, can similarly be traced back to the land.
Land Wars as a name for both fighting and peace
The way the wars are remembered and regarded by New Zealanders should help influence its name. Upon a settlement being reached between the Crown and Ngāi Te Rangi, Iwi spokesman Charlie Tawhiao expressed that, “For almost 150 years, more than five generations of our people have been carrying an unbearable pain that this weekend will end and allow us to get on with the work of moving forward (https://www.sunlive.co.nz/news/59845-iwi-to-sign-35m-settlement.html).” A name should not be divisive or untrue to the cause of struggle.
Land Wars is a term that neutrally explores conflict and places the focus of the land. Today the term is one that most can feel comfortable with and feel reflects their own understanding of and connection to the events. This was clear in 2015 when Ōtorohanga College students brought a petition to the government with over 12,000 signees, advocating for a Lands Wars National Day of Remembrance, that successfully led to a National Day from 2017. This was similarly reflected in 1986 when at the instructions of the Maori Advisory Committee, the Historic Places Trust told members that the name Land Wars was to be preferred. Ultimately, the causes and effects of the Land Wars, and a collective desire for a name which encourages unity, all indicate that the Land Wars is the name that should be attached to conflict.
Although other motivations lay behind the wars, land was the most central to conflict. The Colonial Government desired to open up the lands of the North Island for settlers, whilst Māori fought to defend their lands. After the devastating Battle of Rangiriri at the outset of the Waikato War, Māori had essentially no chance of winning the Land Wars. Māori motivation to fight in subsequent battles therefore clearly rooted from a desire to defend their land, rather than to seek to gain sovereignty over New Zealand. The consequences of conflict in the Waikato and Tauranga including raupatu, and more recently, settlements between the Crown and Māori, can similarly be traced back to the land.
Land Wars as a name for both fighting and peace
The way the wars are remembered and regarded by New Zealanders should help influence its name. Upon a settlement being reached between the Crown and Ngāi Te Rangi, Iwi spokesman Charlie Tawhiao expressed that, “For almost 150 years, more than five generations of our people have been carrying an unbearable pain that this weekend will end and allow us to get on with the work of moving forward (https://www.sunlive.co.nz/news/59845-iwi-to-sign-35m-settlement.html).” A name should not be divisive or untrue to the cause of struggle.
Land Wars is a term that neutrally explores conflict and places the focus of the land. Today the term is one that most can feel comfortable with and feel reflects their own understanding of and connection to the events. This was clear in 2015 when Ōtorohanga College students brought a petition to the government with over 12,000 signees, advocating for a Lands Wars National Day of Remembrance, that successfully led to a National Day from 2017. This was similarly reflected in 1986 when at the instructions of the Maori Advisory Committee, the Historic Places Trust told members that the name Land Wars was to be preferred. Ultimately, the causes and effects of the Land Wars, and a collective desire for a name which encourages unity, all indicate that the Land Wars is the name that should be attached to conflict.