Why is the Māori discovery of New Zealand so often overlooked?
If asked the question “Who discovered New Zealand?” many of us would answer, without really thinking, “Captain James Cook” and after centuries of a European-dominated view of history, it’s no wonder it has taken so long to shake this perspective.
From that perspective, New Zealand was first spotted on December 13, 1642 by Dutch navigator Abel Tasman and explored by Captain James Cook in 1769. However, this limited view does not reveal the whole story and credit for the initial discovery and exploration of New Zealand must go to the Māori, a group of Polynesian people who first settled some time between 1250 and 1300.
When Europeans first landed in New Zealand, several Māori were killed in skirmishes with Cook and his crew. The effects of this first encounter are felt to this day. In Gisborne, a statue of Cook has been repeatedly defaced with graffiti and is to be replaced with art that reflects Māori culture and stories.