1840: Americans Visit Maori
April 27, 2019
By AHNZ
‘Star Trek’ 1840: Americans visiting New Zealand in 1840 visit the Bay of Islands in time to observe some British shenanigans they called ‘The Treaty of Waitangi’.
Also, some interesting observations about Maori funeral practices….
Atop the hill of the Pa rests a tomb “…formed of a small canoe, cut across through the middle, and the two parts joined face to face, forming a hollow cone, about seven or eight feet long.”
“The tomb is painted red, and ornamented with feathers on each side, from the ground to the top; it is covered with a small shed, to protect it from the weather, and enclosed all around with a fence.”
“The corpse is placed inside, in a sitting posture, and would remain there a year, after which the bones would be carried up the river, and, [according to the chief]…’thrown away anywhere’.
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Image ref. Wilkes (1844), coloured by me
Earlier post about West Coast funeral rites: 1880: Death of Chief Tainui and 1907: Cavern of Bones
The Exploring Expedition, commonly known as the “Wilkes Expedition,” included naturalists, botanists, a mineralogist, taxidermists, artists and a philologist, and it was carried by USS Vincennes, USS Peacock, the brig USS Porpoise, the store-ship USS Relief, and two schooners, USS Sea Gull, and USS Flying Fish; ref. wiki
Note: It’s quite interesting that the body in death is treated much the same way for the Maori as it was for the ancient Greek. Eg. Achilles and Patroclus’ remains were both stripped down to bones which were then placed in a receptical ‘vase’. Patroclus himself was tabooed/tapu in childhood for killing another boy after a knucklebones game dispute.
Note: James Beckwourth, adopted Indian Chief of the Crow tribe died in 1967 among them and had revealed this about their ways which also resembles the Maoris: “…when my soul should depart for the spirit land, their rude faith would prompt them to paint my bones, and treasure them.” Ref. The Life and Adventures (1860)
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