The Maori and the Missionary before 1840.
At the time of the British annexation of New Zealand, there existed no optimistic section of opinion in Britain as to the effect of European colonization on aboriginal races. Experience had showed that colonization of areas of the globe occupied by native races inevitably brought the disintergration, and eventual extinction even, of the original barbarous inhabitants. Humanitarian sentiment was strong in England especially in the Colonial Office itself, and humanitarianism was not linked with enthusiasm to extend the British sphere to lands already occupied by the coloured. Missionary activity in such areas was favoured by the authorities, - there was no opposition to any plan to civilize the pagan, but there was no desire to assume official responsibility for such activities.
It has never been disputed that the assumption of sovereignty in New Zealand was forced upon the British Government by the precipitate actions of the New Zealand Company, and that the Colonial Office would have been content to allow the missionaries to continue with their task undisturbed. But when annexation became inevitable, the missionary activities in the country were taken into account; the Imperial Government accepted responsibility with the intention of protecting the natives from the designs of Europeans. This fact was to bear important results for the future of the aboriginal inhabitants of New Zealand. It has been maintained that the Maori race was in itself sufficiently aggressive and proud to have withstood the inevitable process of decay and extinction when faced by the European colonization of its country. Whether this would have been so or not, was not to be tested, but certainly there was no precedent set for such a romantic view. The Maori was to vindicate himself and to maintain his position in spite of the white flood that flowed in upon him in overwhelming numbers. That this was so was largely due not to maintain his place as a force to be reckoned with, but to the missionaries in his midst, who had prepared him for the adjustment to the Pakeha system, and who remained the protectors of his rights after British colonization was established.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/217685 |
| Date | January 1957 |
| Creators | Brownlie, Carol, n/a |
| Publisher | University of Otago. Department of History |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Rights | http://policy01.otago.ac.nz/policies/FMPro?-db=policies.fm&-format=viewpolicy.html&-lay=viewpolicy&-sortfield=Title&Type=Academic&-recid=33025&-find), Copyright Carol Brownlie |
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