BETWEEN PEOPLE AND THINGS Understanding Violence and Theft in early New Zealand transactions A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Anthropology By Annette Wilkes University of Canterbury Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha Christchurch New Zealand 2013 Table of Contents Acknowledgements.............................................................................................................................................i Abstract .................................................................................................................................................................. ii INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................................................................iii Thesis Aims and Background.......................................................................................................................iii Chapter reviews and thesis structure ...................................................................................................viii CHAPTER ONE..................................................................................................................................................... 1 Theory and the History-Anthropology Frontier.................................................................................... 1 ‘Other’ perspectives on History ................................................................................................................... 5 Dynamic Contexts .............................................................................................................................................. 6 Social agents......................................................................................................................................................... 8 Text, Context, and the Representation oF ‘others’................................................................................ 9 Ethno-historical Methods.............................................................................................................................11 Methodology used............................................................................................................................................15 Phase one: finding the fragments............................................................................................................16 Phase two: interpreting the fragments.................................................................................................17 Phase three: representation.......................................................................................................................17 Summary..............................................................................................................................................................18 CHAPTER TWO..................................................................................................................................................19 Approaches to the Anthropology oF Violence ......................................................................................19 What is Violence?...........................................................................................................................................19 More Recent Approaches.............................................................................................................................23 Violence in History .........................................................................................................................................30 A. Transactions gone wrong: Captains Gatteschi & Cellisi at Florence Italy in 1599.......31 B. Transactions gone wrong: Captain Porter & Chief Gamzdop at Nass River, British Columbia in 1811 ............................................................................................................................33 C. Transactions gone wrong: Captain de Surville & Chief Ranginui, Doubtless Bay, New Zealand 1769..........................................................................................................................................34 Summary..............................................................................................................................................................39 CHAPTER THREE .............................................................................................................................................41 Seeing and Knowing: Mātauranga Māori & ConFlicting Ontological Worlds..........................41 Epistemology and ontology .........................................................................................................................42 The position of the scholar .........................................................................................................................44 Mātauranga Māori............................................................................................................................................47 Structural Restrictions and Empowerment ........................................................................................50 Mana & Tapu....................................................................................................................................................51 Utu.........................................................................................................................................................................55 The Pae, Atua and Tōhunga.......................................................................................................................57 Enlightenment Discourses and Knowledge Frameworks ..............................................................59 The Great Chain of Being – relationships, God & the natural world........................................62 Power, Ownership and Social control....................................................................................................64 The Rules of Transaction.............................................................................................................................67 Navigating the Horizon – a comparison .................................................................................................69 Summary..............................................................................................................................................................72 CHAPTER FOUR ................................................................................................................................................73 Māori Material Records: things as social actors .................................................................................73 Genealogies.........................................................................................................................................................75 Things as Social Actors ..................................................................................................................................84 Impacts on inter-iwi socio-political interactions ...............................................................................90 Perceptions oF objects....................................................................................................................................93 Potential impacts on Māori-European Transactions.....................................................................101 Summary...........................................................................................................................................................105 CHAPTER FIVE ...............................................................................................................................................107 Why did violence happen? A New Zealand case..............................................................................107 Inter-iwi conflict in Te Wai Pounamu ..................................................................................................110 The First battle between Ngāi Tahu and the Ngāti Toa alliance c.1828.................................115 Contextual background and preludes to the Kaiapoi battle..................................................... 115 The first Kaiapoi battle: Transition points....................................................................................... 119 Social actors................................................................................................................................................... 125 Things as social actors .............................................................................................................................. 129 Summary oF First Kaiapoi conFlict...........................................................................................................133 CHAPTER SIX ..................................................................................................................................................137 Violence between Māori and Sealers: Triggers and Transitions..............................................137 Social actors and their actions.................................................................................................................137 Transitional ‘tipping points’ points progressing to violent outcomes...................................140 May 1826. The Brig Elizabeth, sealer, at Open Bay Westland. ..................................................142