The Past from the Paepae
The paepae is the place on the marae where elders stand, to deliver their speeches and, as it so happens, their versions of history. Speeches are an oral process of course. How do kaumātua bring to mind such histories, on such occasions? # During the 1990s, the compiling and writing of oral histories became a particular interest of Māori who were then setting out as ‘historians’, whether as Māori historians… Read more »
Right Day, Wrong Date?
We have settled on 28 October as our New Zealand Wars Day, with commemorations to be held around New Zealand, every second year, to remember these past conflicts. This year, 2019, commemorations are planned for Taranaki. However, the choice of the date – 28 October – was disappointing because the date has nothing to do with the wars. The date was chosen by a gathering of tribal leaders held in early 2016. Why was this date chosen? Because it’s the date that the Declaration of Independence… Read more »
Wars Without End
The conflicts against Māori did not end when the last shots were fired in 1872. Instead, they carried over into the courts and Parliament. The section explores New Zealand after the wars.
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Global Native History
Covers the multiple and intersecting pasts of all native peoples around the world. This section explores the nature of this new and developing genre of history.
Visit Global Native HistoryDanny Keenan’s Published Works
Over the years, Danny (who is the writer of this site) has published widely on Māori and New Zealand history. His focus has mainly been Māori-State relations in the 19th Century, of which the New Zealand Land Wars were of course an important part. This section contains copies of Dr Keenan’s writings which you are free to access. Our hope is to eventually upload here everything that Danny has published to date.
Danny's Works
The Wars in Documents
This section brings together many of the important primary documents that help us to understand the origins and consequences of the New Zealand Wars.
Explore Documents
