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The BFD - An Example of The Lies We Can Expect in The Jacinda Government's New History Curriculum
The BFD - An Example of The Lies We Can Expect in The Jacinda Government's New History Curriculum
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2/27/2021 The BFD | An Example of the Lies We Can Expect in the Jacinda Government’s New History Curriculum?
This clipping from the Tasman Times of 18 February was sent to us by a reader.
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lies-we-can-expect-in-the-jacinda-governments-new-history-
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T
his clipping from the Tasman Times of 18 February was sent to us by a
reader.
This clipping from the Tasman Times of 18 February was sent to us by a reader.
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2/27/2021 The BFD | An Example of the Lies We Can Expect in the Jacinda Government’s New History Curriculum?
Accounts by John Robinson and Bruce Moon of what really did happen in the
town in 1864 follow.
Claims have been made that atrocities were committed by British soldiers at
Rangiaowhia, most recently by historian Vincent O’Malley. John
Robinson dispels these myths, based on the evidence of people who were
there.
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<
https://waikanaewatch.files.wordpress.com/2021/02/rangiaowhia-
3-1.jpg>
By John Robinson
Towards the end of the war of rebellion in the Waikato, in 1864, the kingite
forces constructed a well-fortified pa at Paterangi.
It would have taken a considerable effort, with great loss of life on both sides,
to defeat that stronghold.
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In a recent account of the rebellion, The Great War for New Zealand,
Waikato 1800-2000 Vincent O’Malley dwells on the subsequent controversy,
with the claim that Rangiaowhia was a peaceful, undefended village. He then
illustrates his narrative with a suggestive picture of Maori whares being
torched by soldiers in the fictional movie Utu.
Others went further, that “the British locked over 100 Maori men, women
and children in the church and burnt them to death.” This story was repeated
by Dame Susan Devoy during her address at a dawn Waitangi Day ceremony
at Mt Maunganui, and became widely reported.
When staying in the King Country in 1882, Andreas Reischek was told of their
annoyance when they waited for three of four days for an expected attack only
to hear of the capture of Rangiawhia (his spelling) when “a few of them had
been killed”.
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With many Maori civilians, men and women, running away, Captain Wilson
commanding the advance guard called to the women in Maori to sit down to
avoid the risk of being shot. ‘They obeyed, and we passed them; then they got
up and ran on.’
Soon the troops were everywhere in the village. There was some skirmishing
as Maoris began firing from their huts at the cavalrymen. ‘One or two of [the]
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snipers were women.’ ‘The Forest Rangers found the Roman Catholic church
… crammed with armed Maoris, who showed a white flag and were not
pressed further.’ ‘The English church, too, was filled with Maoris, and some
shots came from the windows.’
‘It did not take long for the cavalry to clear the enemy out of Rangiaohia, our
infantry being far in the rear. Having accomplished our work, we had
turned about and were taking prisoners as we came along, when Captain
Wilson’s attention was drawn to a whare, near which a struggle was going
on between Corporal Little, of ours, and a huge Maori. … I heard some days
afterwards that the big Maori, whom I mentioned before as having been
taken prisoner, had said that his life was saved by a man who wore a silver
band round his cap, meaning Captain Wilson.’
Meantime, the boy, Potatau, leaving the house where he had spent the night,
saw some troopers passing nearby. He takes up the story: ‘I at once ran to my
father’s house. I had not been long there when my grandfather [Hoani]
came to the same house. … so that he might die with us – Ihaia, Rawiri and
his son.
At this time myself and my mother went outside the house, and sat at the
door of the house. I heard my father say to my grandfather: ‘Let us lay
down our guns and give ourselves up as prisoners.’ … My grandfather would
not agree. At this time the soldiers came to us, and asked my mother in
Maori: ‘Are there any Maoris in the house?’ She replied: ‘No, there are no
Maoris in the house.’ My father at once said: ‘Yes, there are Maoris here.’
The European who spoke Maori came to the door of the house, and caught
hold of my father, and handed him over to the soldiers.’
It is pretty evident that the ‘big Maori’ who was captured was Potatau’s
father. As Captain Wilson came up immediately afterwards it is easy to see
that Potatau attributed his father’s capture to him rather than the corporal.
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At this point, Captain Wilson ordered Sergeant McHale, the sole Australian
volunteer in the cavalry, to enter the hut and take the occupants prisoner.
Potatau again: ‘The European went inside of the house. My grandfather shot
him and killed him. Some of the others dragged the body in the house. At this
time my mother and self arose and went through the soldiers and between
the troopers. They did not interfere with us, but allowed us to pass. We
went to the house of Thomas Power, who had a Maori woman to wife. After
we left we heard the soldiers firing. … [After] the firing had ceased, we at
once left the place and ran off to the bush, and made for Rangitoto.’
‘Captain Wilson called out ‘What are you shooting the Maoris for?’ and
jumping from his horse was into the hut in a moment. The door was so low he
had to stoop to get inside. The place was full of smoke, and as Captain Wilson
entered he found under him McHale’s body, his feet towards the door, and
face down.
The captain could not see anyone else for the darkness and smoke,
consequently he soon backed out, calling out that McHale had been shot,
which the men no sooner heard than with their carbines they commenced to
riddle the house, which was built of slabs.
The firing soon brought together the whole of the cavalry, and after a while
some of the 65th and Forest Rangers, also the general and staff, came up. It
was after General Cameron’s arrival that Colonel Nixon was shot from the
door of the whare.
Then, as the Maoris did not surrender when challenged for the second time,
the infantry fired the house. I saw one Maori walk out of the blazing hut, his
blanket singed on his back. Poor fellow! he fell within ten paces of the door
whence he and his compatriots had so wantonly shot our colonel and many
other good men.
There was nothing now to prevent us from recovering McHale’s body, but its
condition was such that we could hardly distinguish it from the Maoris around
him.’
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Of the one who walked out of the blazing hut, Cowan has to say: ‘A tall old
man, clothed in a white blanket … emerged from the doorway of the burning
house. His upstretched arms showed that he had no weapon. ‘Spare him,
spare him!’ shouted the nearest officers. But next moment there was a
thunder of shots. … the old hero … swayed slowly and fell dead to the
ground. The episode enraged the chivalrous officers who had entreated
quarter for him.’
The irony of all this is that the ‘old hero’ must have been Potatau’s grandfather
who had fired the shots which killed McHale and started the whole fracas.
Almost the last survivor, he had realized that the game was up and walked out
to meet his fate.
Had he heeded his son’s advice at the start to give themselves up none of it
would have happened. As it was, nearly all the casualties at Rangiaowhia
occurred there.
Two more men came forth from the whare and were shot dead while firing at
the troops then the burning building collapsed. Besides the charred body of
McHale, seven bodies were found in the ruins.
In the final incident ‘at the Catholic church some of Hoani Papita’s men made
a short stand. Twenty or thirty of them rushed into the church and fired
through the windows, and it was thought at first that they intended standing a
siege there, but they discovered that the weatherboards were not bullet-proof.
The rangers and some Regulars attacked, and the church-walls were soon
perforated with bullets.
At last the defenders dashed out through the door on the northern side, and
fled into the swamps.’
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Five of Cameron’s men including Colonel Nixon were killed at the ill-fated
whare or died later of wounds. Ten Maoris died there including the chiefs
Ihaia and Hoani who made the fateful decision not to surrender at the start as
his son had advised him.
Just two Maoris were killed in the entire remainder of the action. ‘About
thirty prisoners, some wounded, were taken.’”
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The great irony of it all is that the Rangiaowhia affray was what military
chaplain Frank Glen has called “commendable humanitarianism”² by General
Cameron who wanted to avoid a “set piece” confrontation with the Waikato
rebels at their massively strong fort at Paterangi. In this he was brilliantly
successful but the rebels, furious at being so outwitted by him, soon started
spreading the foul lie of the church-burning and that has blazed up again and
again with all these so-called “historians” and their like joining the chorus
today.
Far from being the haven of peace which these people would have us believe,
Rangiaowhia was the principal source of food for the rebels in their strong fort
at Paterangi and therefore fully involved in the rebellion. And let us
remember that that was no small affair, advanced plans for the destruction of
the town of Auckland being considered seriously by the rebels at one stage.
At one whare, fashioned as a gunpit with a sunken floor, the occupants were
called upon to come out and one man, his wife and small son did so safely.
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Then Sergeant McHale, an Australian, was directed to enter the whare and
call on those remaining to surrender but in response Hoani shot him dead. A
sharp and furious encounter followed, the whare being set alight, possibly by
the discharges of the occupants’ guns but maybe in an attack by the troops
and Colonel Nixon and several soldiers fell. Blinded by smoke, Hoani
staggered out, waving his blanket in no more, it is likely, than a reflex gesture
to ward off the fire of the troops. Indeed the officers called on the men to hold
their fire but in the heat of battle a volley cut him down. This incident should
be seen in the light of the circumstances and not his surrender, still less as his
waving a white flag, the tale told in Te Awamutu today.**
The slain were buried and about thirty prisoners taken back to the mission
station at Otawhao, the wounded being treated kindly.
So ended the capture of Rangiaowhia, but for one exception the almost
bloodless outcome which General Cameron desired. It was a most significant
event after which the end of the rebellion and restoration of peace were only a
matter of time. Both churches remained standing for many years afterwards
in mute testimony to his success. The point to be stressed is that it was
not the actions of the benevolent Cameron and his troops which
are responsible for the reported anguish of Ngati Apakura, but the
lies nurtured by their own people from then to this day.
If they will not accept the truth let them get an archaeological examination
done by professionals to remove the doubt forever.
References:
*. For a fuller account of this event, see: “We Have Just One True
History”, New Zealand Voice, March 2017, p. 40
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