Published on 19th of November, 2024
In recent years, the Methodist Church of New Zealand has invited its parishes and Missions to explore and document the kōrero papatupu whenua, the land stories, of their properties. What is known about the history of these places? How did they come to be in Methodist hands?
At CMM we are responding to this challenge by researching the land stories of our social housing sites. CMM’s Strategic Advisor, Jane Higgins, has delved into the Methodist Archives, the National Archives and the Ngāi Tahu Archives to learn about the history of this land.
“These archives provide an immensely rich source of knowledge about our history,” Jane says. “For example, early Ngāi Tahu maps detail mahinga kai (food and resource gathering) trails as well as travelling tracks used for centuries across Te Waipounamu (the South Island).
“The Methodist Archive provides detailed insight into parish life dating back to the 19th century. And the National Archives provide volumes of the Canterbury Land Deeds that document the passage of land titles through various hands over time. These resources are a real treasure for all of us in tracing our history.”
In Canterbury, this history pivots on Kemp’s Purchase in 1848. Kemp, Native Secretary for the Crown, was appointed to negotiate with Ngāi Tahu to purchase land across Te Waipounamu. Ngāi Tahu negotiators were promised that the iwi would keep all its mahinga kai sources and its kāinga nohoanga (settled) sites, that ‘ample’ further reserves (10 per cent) would be put aside for iwi descendants, and that this would include the building of schools and hospitals.
These contractual promises were not honoured.
Kemp’s Deed claimed the purchase of 13,551,400 acres (5,484,057 hectares) of Te Waipounamu. The promised reserves should have amounted to over 1.3 million acres (over half a million hectares) for Ngāi Tahu, as well as the protection and continued use of their mahinga kai and kāinga nohoanga sites.
In fact, Ngāi Tahu lost access to these sites, and to almost all their land. They were left with just 6359 acres (2573 hectares) – less than one half of one per cent of the land that was promised. This loss of food sources and land had a devastating impact on five generations of Ngāi Tahu.
The iwi began protesting as early as 1849 and continued to do so until 1997 when the Crown, through the Waitangi Tribunal, recognised the injustice and made some compensation.
CMM’s history is woven into this wider history. Understanding our land stories means understanding the process of land alienation. Archival research is part of this, as are conversations between the Mission and mana whenua: Ngāi Tūāhuriri in Ōtautahi/Christchurch and Kāti Huirapa, in Timaru.
Acknowledging this history and seeking to make right our relationships with mana whenua is particularly important now, as some members of the current government seek to undercut and reinterpret te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Executive Director Jill Hawkey comments: “Methodist missionaries participated in discussions with Māori at the signing of Te Tiriti in 1840. And Methodist leaders were among over four hundred Christian leaders who recently expressed their commitment to Te Tiriti, affirming that it protects the Tino Rangatiratanga of hapū and iwi over land and taonga. The kōrero papatupu whenua are an important part of CMM’s own bicultural journey and our commitment to honouring te Tiriti.”
