The Kohimarama Conference 1860

- Blurb -

For four weeks in 1860 there took place the largest ever gathering of Maori chiefs who met to talk of their beliefs and concerns, their move away from the old tikanga to a new way of life, their adherence to Christianity, the recognition of British sovereignty, and of the unity being forged between the natives and the colonists. Some of the chiefs voiced a complaint that the new colonisation, born of the Age of Enlightenment idea of human equality, was too slow and too hesitant. They wanted to move forward, to join together the two cultures so as to become one people in a united land. This is the true story of New Zealand, of the thoughts and wishes of those living at the time and who were experiencing the birth pangs of a new nation and society. In their own words at the conference, faithfully recorded in this book, they described their experiences of the extraordinary Maori cultural transformation that was taking place and their appreciation of the benefits of colonisation. They wished for peace under one government and one Queen, and opposed both the fighting that was currently taking place in Taranaki and the threats from the Maori King movement. By the end of the conference the government was assured of the loyalty of the majority of Maori and knew that there would be no break-up of the country.