Section 2: The arrival of the Pakeha questions and activities

2a. Going to a New Land

  • Why do you think people went around the world exploring two hundred years ago?
  • Why do you think families decided to leave their homes to start a new life in a strange land?
  • Why do you think the British Government wanted families to come and live in Aotearoa?
  • Imagine being an explorer who has just come across an island. How would you feel? What things would you be looking out for?
  • Write or tell a story about 'How I felt when my family moved to a new country'. Your story could be set in the present day or in the past. It could be real or imagined. Explain what you expected and what it was like when you arrived.

2b. New People Coming to Your Land

Different rules:

  • Break into three groups - A, B, and C.
  • Decide on a game you all know how to play that has two groups playing against each other.
  • Groups A and B play the game.
  • While groups A and B are playing the game, group C decides to change one of the rules.
  • Groups A and B stop playing the game.
  • Group C will now play group A. Group A will play by the old rules and group C will play using their new rule. Group C must make believe that they have always played the game by the new rule. Group B will watch.
  • What happened when groups A and C tried to play the game together? How did it feel for groups A, B, and C when they were playing the game?
  • Imagine how difficult it would be to play with people who have different rules and who also speak a different language.
  • How do you think Māori felt when people came from overseas and made new rules?

2c. Ownership/buying/lending

Māori and Pakeha had different ideas about owning, lending and borrowing before and after the Treaty was signed. They did not understand each other's language very well either. This caused serious problems over land.

Read this story about how people often misunderstand you when you give them something.

Eruera and Sally are in standard 4 at Pounamu School. One morning during maths, the teacher asks the class to draw a graph using their coloured felts. Sally doesn't have any felts. Eruera says to her, 'You can have mine because I have another set in my bag that I can use.' Sally is really pleased and at lunchtime she gives Eruera some of her chocolate cake.

A week later, the teacher tells the class to use their felts again to draw a map for a social studies class. Eruera had taken home the set of felts that he had got from his bag for the maths class because they were his sister's felts. He feels a bit cross with Sally because she has still not returned his felts. He asks Sally if he can have his felts back. 'But you gave them to me,' says Sally. 'No I didn't,' says Eruera, 'I just lent them to you.' 'No,' says Sally, 'you said I could have them and I gave you some of my chocolate cake.' 'I said you could have them for that day, but I didn't say for keeps,' says Eruera.

  • Write or tell a story about a time when you have had a misunderstanding about buying, lending or borrowing something.
  • How could Eruera and Sally make sure they understood each other?
  • Imagine if Sally had newly arrived in the school from another country and she doesn't speak English very well. What difficulties would there be in this situation?

2d. The Declaration of Independence

If the rangatira who signed the Declaration of Independence had met every year, as planned, to make laws and rules for Aotearoa, there might not have been a Treaty of Waitangi.

It seems that the rangatira did not decide that they would not meet each year. It was more likely that they were too busy with other matters.

  • How would you organise a meeting today for people who live all over the country?
  • Now, imagine organising a meeting in 1835 for people who live all over the country. How would you do it?

Next: The Signing of the Treaty

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