Toitū Te Whenua: Places and People of the New Zealand Wars by Lauren Keenan (Te Ātiawa ki Taranaki) is a new guidebook that introduces readers to key sites and individuals involved in the New Zealand Wars, covering Te Tai Tokerau (the Far North) to the top of Te Waipounamu (the South Island).
The New Zealand Wars were a series of conflicts that took place between 1843 and 1872, the impacts of which have cast a long and lingering shadow over Aotearoa. Keenan shares stories of the wars in a compelling way, providing readers with insights on the wars from a Māori perspective, an important counterbalance to the prevalence of historical stories told from a Pākehā perspective.
The impacts of the wars are hard to fathom. Over the course of a few decades, 1.5 million hectares of Māori land was taken. While the economic impacts of this are enduring, so too are the impacts of people being separated from whenua infused with whakapapa and a source of communal wellbeing.
‘This loss has reverberated through the generations, both in terms of conscious mamae and because of the ongoing effect of subsequent systemic and intergenerational failures.’
Toitū Te Whenua is arranged chronologically, separated into different sites. Each section begins with a timeline of events and useful background information to set the scene. This is followed by a description of the key battles and engagements that took place at the site. The guide also provides detailed maps and driving instructions.
For those planning a family outing, a chapter at the end of the book identifies sites that are especially kid friendly, along with suggestions of things to do and what to look out for. These are based on Lauren’s own experience as she travelled around the country to locate these battle sites with her children in tow.
Throughout the book there are additional explanatory notes providing background information on wide ranging topics such as ‘The Kīngitanga Movement and King Tāwhio’, ‘Women and War’, ’Māori Weapons’, ‘War and Warfare’ and ‘The difference between Stockades and Redoubts.’
Keenan’s insightful commentaries bring to life many of the key figures who played a part in the New Zealand Wars including Te Rauparaha, Hōne Heke Pōkai, Te Rangihaeta, Te Kooti, Sir George Grey, Gustavus Von Tempsky, discussing their roles and motives. For example, she explains why Sir George Grey was described by historian Ranginui Walker as ‘the hit-man of colonisation’ and how Te Kooti, sent to the Chatham Islands without a trial, started a new religion and hatched a daring and successful escape plan with his followers.
At the end of the book there is also an extensive bibliography and suggestions for background reading for those who want to learn more.
Armchair travelers can use the guidebook from the comfort of home to gain a comprehensive overview of The New Zealand Wars. But Keenan encourages people to visit the sites in person if they can. Standing on the whenua where these important events unfolded brings history to life and makes the stories easier to understand and remember.
Lauren has a poignant story to tell of how during the course of writing this book she visited Te Ārei, the last site of the first Taranaki War, with many of the Keenan whanau. It was here that Te Ātiawa agreed to a truce with the Crown. At the site, kaumatua shared stories about the significance of the truce. As her eloquent uncle said, ‘This is where our land went down the toilet.’ But she and her cousins preferred to look to the future and talked about learning more te reo and arranging a noho because as she said:
We are still here as Māori. As is the land itself. In spite of the people who have come and gone over the past 180 years.
Many New Zealanders went through a school system that ignored the New Zealand wars, but times have changed. This book will certainly be a valuable resource for schools keen to organise a hīkoi to battle sites in their own area. But the book is also useful for a broader audience, written it in a very accessible style that can help all New Zealanders learn the truth about our past and the effect it has had, and continues to have, on our society.
This knowledge is essential if we are to build a peaceful future together to create a more just and fair society. It is a book that deserves to be widely read.
Reviewer: Lyn Potter
Penguin