Missionaries in New Zealand WHY Missionaries Based on

Missionaries in New Zealand

WHY Missionaries? • Based on what you know about New Zealand in the early contact period, why do you think that missionaries wanted to come to New Zealand? • How do you think missionaries would have been received by; • Maori • Europeans in NZ • Why?

Increase in Missionary Activity • Missionary activity was prominent as part of the Christian evangelical revival in 19 th century Europe. • Christians were actively teaching converts from within their own countries and from ‘heathen’ non. Christian countries.

Differences to other Europeans • How do you think contact with missionaries may have differed from contact with whalers, sealers, traders etc. for Maori? • Missionaries had an objective to CHANGE Maori society. • Whalers, sealers, traders did create change in Maori society but this was not their main objective.

Importance? • Do you think missionaries were more or less significance to race relations than other Europeans? • Missionaries were of more significance for a number of reasons: • The typically came to NZ to STAY • They sought to change Maori life and society. • Organisations often influenced government policy in Britain.

• Rev. Samuel Marsden

First Missionaries in NZ • The first mission station was established at Rangihoua by the Church Missionary Society (CMS) in 1814. They were Anglicans (Church of England) • They were led by Reverend Samuel Marsden and were invited to the region by the chief of Nga Puhi, Ruatara (remember we read about him!) • Members included Thomas Kendall (teacher), William Hall (carpenter) and John King (shoe maker). • How do you think they intended to encourage Maori into Christianity?

Initial Interactions • Initally, after the development of the CMS mission in 1814, Maori dominated race relations. • This was because: • Missionaries were so badly resourced that they had to rely on Maori for food etc. , so they could survive. • Maori did not take long to discover that they did not need to adopt Christianity to have access to trade with missionaries. • They were also aware that trade could be undertaken with other European settlers/visitors.

Complete the missionary profile activity

Reverend Henry Williams • Henry Williams arrived in the Bay of Islands in 1823 and became a significant influence on the CMS mission. • An ex-naval officer, Williams provided strong leadership and created unity among missionaries. • This strong personality helped him to acquire mana for himself and other missionaries. • Williams related well to Maori leaders and refused to be intimidated by them.

Williams’- Strategies • Williams focused on spiritual teaching rather than civilisation to achieved conversion. • He re-established schooling for Maori children. • Williams reduced missionary involvement in trade with both Maori and traders at Kororareka. This le to missionaries becoming more self-sufficient. • Williams encouraged missionaries to learn to speak Maori.