New Commercial Opportunities Maori Responses

Commercial Opportunities As a result of European presence in New Zealand, Maori were exposed to a number of new commercial opportunities. European settlers came to New Zealand with the primary purpose of exploiting natural resources. This demand, as well as the range of goods Europeans brought with them offered Maori many new opportunities.

How would you respond to the European desire for the resources of New Zealand?

Read Page 14 and Complete the Following... Prior to 1840 many historians believed that R…… R……… were relatively good. C……………… O……………… put forward the theory that Maori and pakeha had reached a “ W……………… A……………………” characterised by mutual co-operation and trade.

Now, Answer the Following Questions Describe clearly, the two pieces of evidence that support the idea that Maori deliberately facilitated contact with Europeans. State four pieces of evidence that Claudia Orange uses to support her theory of a “workable accord” What was “The Boyd Incident”? Why may it actually have helped consolidate race relations?

Complete the ‘Ruatara’ activity to learn more about the ‘workable accord’ established between Maori and European settlers.

Examples of Maori selection and adaption

Crops and Animals Vegetables such as potato, grains and animals such as pigs and cattle provided the basis of trade between the races. This brought about change in the Maori diet. Potatoes produced more than one crop a year, unlike kumara, this meant that more food was yielded for the same effort and growers could focus attention on other areas also. Horses also became widely sought by Maori communities as a mode of transportation and for leisure.

Technology This included metal technology such as nails, adzes, agricultural tools and te pu (muskets). Steel cutting tools fostered and increase in carving. New agricultural tools made it possible for Maori to cultivate on a larger scale than before. Muskets were used by Maori in traditional warfare as a way to achieve an advantage in the pursuit of mana.

Europeans Some Europeans would go to live with Maori tribes under the patronage of the chief. Many tribes sought such Europeans because of the skills they could learn from this. These included: Agriculture Blacksmithing Animal husbandry They also attracted trade.

Literacy By the 1830s Maori demand for literacy skills began to increase. Because Maori, who had an oral culture, came into contact with the literate culture of Europeans, there was a strong belief in the fact that understanding of the written word would provide greater access to Pakeha knowledge. Literacy therefore became a new way of obtaining mana.

Read the extract about Barnet Burns and answer the following questions… What did Maori gain from having Barnet Burns live with them? What evidence is there that Barnet Burns lived ‘on Maori terms’? Find as many examples as possible