Memoirs of an ‘Extinct’ People
Words by Rāhiri Mākuini Edwards-Hammond
Ngāti Kahungunu, Taranaki, Moriori | She/Her
It's O-week. A first-year guy and I are kicking it, chatting about our studies, interests, and family backgrounds over a box of room temperature raspberry Cruisers. We learnt that he was a Pākehā raised between Aotearoa and the US, and I am Māori, raised between the East Coast and our whānau papakāinga in Taranaki. While this conversation started off well enough, a slow and painful descent into the topic of Māori and education resulted in this banger:
"I only learnt three things about Māori in school—That you killed the moa; that you were cannibals; and that you killed those other people"
- see: eco fascism and dehumanisation x
Confused by my life decisions at that point but more pressingly by his last statement, I asked, "Those other people ...?"
"You know, it sounds like Māori... The Maorriaori?..." he replied, stumbling in a way his three Cruisers couldn’t excuse.
"Moriori?" I finally asked to which he agreed. "Well Moriori can’t be dead,” I replied, “I'm Moriori too.”
I knew these ideas existed in New Zealand. But one week into Uni, and for the first time in my life, I was confronted with the reality that the mere existence of my hūnau (family) and imi (iwi) was a trivial anomaly for some.
So, after that all too familiar experience as an Indigenous person being expected to educate those around me, I figured, why not relive that O-week experience one more time, for the Pākehā/lecturers in the back.
800 kilometres to the east of Aotearoa, Rēkohu, commonly known as the Chatham Islands, has been the home of Moriori for over 1000 years. They arrived directly from the south-eastern islands of the Pacific. For many years, Moriori lived and maintained a peaceful existence under the covenant of Nunuku’s Law. This law was put in place by Nunuku Whenua, a prominent 16th-century tohuk’ (tohunga) in which warfare and cannibalism were outlawed. A 500-year old cultural law that remains to this day.
Over this period, Moriori developed their own distinctive culture, identity, and language, completely distinct from other Pacific cultures such as Māori. However, in 1791, first interactions between Moriori and Pākehā occurred when the British ship, Chatham, coincidently came across the islands after blowing off its initial course.
On arrival, the land was promptly ‘claimed’ in the name of the British Empire and dubbed the Chatham Islands. During the crew’s time in Rēkohu, a misunderstanding occurred between the sailors and a Moriori man, Tamakaroro. Whilst protecting his fishing nets, he was shot and killed, resulting in the first Moriori life lost at the hands of these outsiders. Despite this, peace was maintained and a resolution was made to ensure that future visitors would be welcome and respected.
As noted by the crew of the Chatham, Rēkohu promised abundance. The early 1800s soon saw the arrival of whalers and sealers in swarms, devastating seal populations—an essential clothing source for Moriori.
Turning the gaze to Aotearoa, the 1820’s saw Ngāti Mutunga and Ngāti Tama of Taranaki join Te Rauparaha in their descent to Te Whanganui-a-Tara. Here, they took possession of the land from Ngāti Ira and Ngāi Tara tribes. In 1834, a member of these tribes visited Rēkohu on a sailing ship. He returned to his people at Waiwhetu Marae with stories of Rēkohu (mistakenly dubbed ‘Wharekauri’) and the plentiful supply of seafood and peaceful inhabitants.
Alongside a falling out with Ngāti Toa, this provided Ngāti Mutunga and Ngāti Tama incentive to invade Rēkohu. Thus in 1835, aboard the English ship, ‘Lord Rodney’, Ngāti Mutunga and Ngāti Tama sailed to Rēkohu.
On landing, the newcomers stumbled ashore, plagued with seasickness and were nursed back to health by the t'chakat henu (people of the land). After a few weeks and upon their return to health, Ngāti Mutunga and Ngāti Tama turned on the Moriori people and began their first wave of pillaging, killing, and enslavement.
Those who know me know I am staunchly Taranaki. It is where I was born, raised, and is a core part of my identity. While my connections to Ngāti Mutunga or Ngāti Tama aren’t strong, the reality is they were also my ancestors.
It is here that I find myself at a crossroads. Descended from those who maintained peace and those who destroyed a people. All while my Pākehā whakapapa watches, remembering a Crown who was complicit to the destruction despite desperate pleas for help.
This period of brutality was described by the Waitangi Tribunal in its Wai 64 ’Rekohu’ Report as the worst case of enslavement in New Zealand recorded history. Moriori numbers plummeted and by 1863 the population of Moriori on Rēkohu was 101, a mere 4% of the Moriori population at the turn of the century.
In 1933, the last “full-blooded” Moriori, Tame Horomona Rehe, passed away. A moment in which many declared the long-awaited extinction of the Moriori people. This is no different to your grandfather who insists, “there’s no full-blooded maaris left anyway!” Or mine, who proudly identified as “1/8th Samoan,” the notion of blood quantum as the highest determinant of ‘ethnic credibility’ still thrives in Aotearoa and around the world.
In the words of Robyn Kahukiwa, our people do not come in parts.
Blood quantum is an ideology fueled by racism and white supremacy. Blood quantum as a measure of Indigeneity stems from the intent to alienate Indigenous peoples from their people and land. It seeks to fractionalise until the person is reduced down to meaningless numbers that in no way represent one's beliefs, values, experiences, or cultural identity.
If you were unaware of this history like my friend from earlier, that is what effective colonial discourse looks like. It tells you that Moriori were a victim of evolution. It tells you that the oppression of Māori is okay because “they did the same to those other people.” It tells you that blood quantum is more powerful than Indigenous beliefs and understandings of self-identity.
It is up to us whether we continue to be complicit to these colonial discourses which seek to “other”. It is up to us to use our resources and voices to hold ourselves and what we consider to be ‘truth’ accountable.
In rediscovering my Moriori identity and acknowledging my whakapapa within Rēkohu and Taranaki among others, I have learnt that reconnection isn’t about blood quantum, nor is it about how much I do or don’t know. It is about respect, reciprocity, and intent.
Regardless of the actions of my tīpuna, I am here to continue the legacy of my karapuna. In renegotiating what being Moriori looks like for me, I seek to ensure that their history and legacy of peace continues through me and to my future descendants.
Me Rongo (In peace)
For more information:
Hokotehi Moriori Trust - https://www.moriori.co.nz/