Patuone's Legacy and Important Political Issues
The life of Patuone spanned the earliest years of pakeha settlement of Aotearoa/New Zealand. Patuone like other chiefly tohunga knew of the old prophecies of Te Maoi and others which foretold the arrival of pakeha. They knew also that their future would be very different from all they had known prior. One reason why Patuone, Nene and others supported the British cause was that they knew there could be no turning back. Pakeha could not be sent home as a failed experiment and in the meantime, they had brought goods, animals, crops and technology which would greatly benefit Māori. The negative aspects of settlement (especially new diseases, new weapons, unhealthy lifestyle changes, tobacco, alcohol) certainly alarmed many Māori leaders, including Patuone, however, the good came with the bad as a package.
While the Māori population outnumbered that of settlers and transients, the missionaries of various Christian persuasions had to invest considerable efforts into the processes of "civilising", converting and persuading Māori to turn away from practices which were seen as evil, especially things like cannibalism, polygamy and war. Māori remained, however, "in control".
Read more about this topic: Eruera Maihi Patuone
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