Dr. Monty Soutar, "He Rākau Whai Hua: the Rise, Fall & Rise Again of Christianity on the East Coast"

ABSTRACT
This paper explores the historical and cultural dynamics of the Ngāti Porou iwi (tribe) during the late 1830s to the 1870s in New Zealand. Focusing on the acceptance and nurturing of Christianity brought by their own people from the Church Missionary Society, it examines the prominent role of the Anglican communion as the first denomination to preach the gospel to the Ngāti Porou people. The spiritual allegiance to the Anglican faith was rewarded and maintained by the majority of Ngāti Porou, despite the emergence of spontaneous religious cults and the establishment of various religious faiths in the region. Simultaneously, the Queen of England was introduced to the Ngāti Porou as the Defender of the Faith and head of the Anglican Church, as well as the monarch and titular head of state. Initially, the Crown displayed goodwill and bestowed Her Royal Favour upon the Native Chiefs and Tribes of New Zealand. However, this benevolent attitude shifted as new waves of settlers demanded land, leading to a less protective stance from the Crown. The actions of successive governors, the encroachment of Pākehā settlers, and the call for united resistance to land alienation by other tribes contributed to internal factionalism within Ngāti Porou. Consequently, during the conflicts of the 1860s, divided loyalties arose within the iwi, with some aligning with the Māori King and the Pai Marire religion, while others remained loyal to the British Queen and the Anglican faith. The outbreak of fighting, initially on the East Coast and later spreading beyond the district, provided an opportunity for Ngāti Porou to punish those who sought to undermine their leadership through insurgent activities. The temporary falling away from the Church was ultimately resolved, and after the wars concluded in 1871, the majority of Ngāti Porou returned to their allegiance to the Anglican faith. This paper sheds light on the complex religious and political landscape of Ngāti Porou during a transformative period, highlighting the resilience and enduring faith of the iwi.
BIO
Monty Soutar (Ngāti Porou/ Ngāti Awa/ Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki/ Ngāti Kahungunu) has worked as a schoolteacher, soldier, university lecturer, Senior Historian for the Ministry of Culture and Heritage, Director of the Tairawhiti Museum in Gisborne, Chief Executive of Te Runanga o Ngāti Porou, and as the World War One Historian in Residence at Auckland War Memorial Museum. In 2015, he was awarded the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Māori and historical research. He continues to serve on the Waitangi Tribunal. He has a research background that spans almost forty years, in which time he has had access to closely guarded tribal and family manuscripts. His doctoral thesis explored the advent of Christianity amongst Ngāti Porou in the nineteenth century. He is the author of two definitive books of Māori military history: Whītiki Whiti Whiti E! Māori in the First World War and Ngā Tama Toa: The Price of Citizenship: C Company 28 (Māori Battalion 1939-1945). In 2021, Dr Soutar was awarded the Creative New Zealand Michael King Writer’s Fellowship to write the Kāwai series, a fiction trilogy which looks at the impact of colonisation on New Zealand society.

[@toakasi6425]

Awesome korero Monty well done love the gospel version of Ngati Porou

[@karinkereama]

Tau Kē 🩶