Caused Conflicts

In the first article of the treaty, Maori were told that they'd only have to give up governorship and continue to have control over their tribes. However, the British were told that they'd (they being Maori) have complete control over New Zealand. Government issues ensue.

In the second article, in the British version, Maori are guaranteed all of their properties but the British have the established right to buy the land that was for sale, meaning the Maori could only sell to the British government. Maori were aware they had full rangatiratanga over their possessions. Contrary to the British article, Maori were told they could offer their land to the British Crown for an agreed price and if the offer is denied, the land could then be sold to someone else. This would cause some issue when Maori tried to sell land to countries outside of the British Crown.

In the third article, both versions state that Maori had the same rights as British subjects. However, the British "Offical" version, did not state that the British were to protect Maori, unlike the translated Maori version of the article. This would obviously cause some kind of conflict where Maori believe they should be being protected but aren't necessarily. 

The Treaty Of Waitangi

If you grew up in a New Zealand school or have literally ever watched the news in February, you’ll know about the Treaty of Waitangi. First signed on 6 February 1840, the treaty continues to be a controversial topic surrounding the countries history. So why was it ever signed? Whalers basically going crazy, Europeans missionaries vying for Māori rights, infighting and the musket wars, plus the Declaration of Independence all played a part in the creation and signing of the treaty, proving that back then the treaty was truly needed. 

With the continuing influx of European whalers came a high increase in absurd behaviour, leaving the country in a need of a treaty. Instilling a treaty between the two countries would introduce laws and regulations, restricting the lawless behaviour of the whalers. In the early 1830s, the contrast of Europeans compared to the Māori was huge. There was an estimated 100,000 Māori compared to the 200 Pākehā. Of this 200, there were many a whaler. Once arriving in places like Kororārika after spending up to three months on the sea, whalers would begin to lose any order. In an attempt to wind down from the no-less-than dangerous job, they would get drunk in local bars, have insane parties, and usually end up starting fights. They would take advantage of the local prostitution, as sex would pay for the purchase of a lot of things, including muskets. Furthermore, in some cases, they would spread diseases or even kill. This behaviour made the Europeans think twice about their treaty-less status.

Missionaries, religious messengers, played a large role in the signing and promotion of the treaty. Without their word, protecting Māori’s rights, such as their land and their trading, may have been overseen by the rest of the Europeans. The first missionaries landed in New Zealand in December 1814, following Samuel Marsden. Throughout their stay in New Zealand, the local missionaries tried their best to sustain good relationships with the Māori people. Over time, they taught them how to read in write in Māori and tried to convert them to Christianity. As a ploy to do this, the Christian Bible was translated into the newly created Māori language. The missionaries would spend days travelling by horse to meet their converting-based mission. Watching events play out, they began to grow concerned for the Māori, who, at the time, was slowly decreasing in population and losing their land. So to help, the missionaries promoted the Treaty of Waitangi to Māori and European alike. In a huge attempt to protect Māori rights, missionaries were an important factor in needed the treaty.

Ah, the musket wars. Set off by the increasing number of muskets traded for flax, and other goods, with the Europeans, thousands of Māori were killed, significantly damaging their population. Between 1807 and 1842, over 3,000 battles occurred throughout New Zealand tribes. The first few were results of a rivalry between Ngāpuhi and Ngāti Whātua, as the north island tribes were some of the first few tribes with access to the long-barrelled guns. With the sudden decrease in population, it was time they needed a treaty. Though over time the fights became fair and more difficult, the substantial amount of deaths was a concern to Europeans, mostly missionaries. Following the treaty, new rules and regulations would be implemented in order to contain violence and death. As with the newfound partnership through the treaty came protection, a treaty being introduced would protect the Māori against whatever means necessary. So, without the rapid increase of wars due to musket trading, there probably wouldn’t have been a need for protection, therefore the musket wars contributed to the creation of a treaty.

Why would New Zealand need a treaty, the Treaty of Waitangi, if there was already a Declaration of Independence in play? Well, interestingly enough, the Declaration of Independence was merely a portal of which the negotiations for a treaty could begin. Signed in 1835 by 35 Māori leaders and 4 British representatives, the document stated that the native people of New Zealand, the Māori, held sovereignty over the land but were only able to trade with the British. It was designed to promote and protect the rights of Māori, as well as recognise them as a national identity. Previously, not one chief had authority over a larger iwi and everyone lived in their extended families, smaller hapu. James Busby, the man who drafted the document, saw it as a step toward the country being under the British crown after helping 25 Rangatira choose a flag in hopes of creating a government down the line. So, basically, the Declaration was signed to give Māori the sovereignty of the country so that they could sign it away in the Treaty of Waitangi. Despite this, in order to have the treaty signed, the Declaration of Independence needed to be revoked, meaning that the same people who signed the Declaration needed to sign the Treaty of Waitangi. So, consequentially, to get the treaty signed and officiated, the Māori and the Europeans would’ve actually needed the Declaration of Independence.

Following the numerous events throughout our history, we can see that the Treaty of Waitangi was truly needed in order to advance the country. Without it, whalers would continue in their pandemonium and the musket wars would have continued. Missionaries would have been yearning over nothing and the Declaration would have served little to no purpose to the Europeans. Going forward, the topic of the Treaty of Waitangi will probably continue to be controversial, that’s okay. Everyone deserves an opinion. When we look back, we should always see why New Zealand had a treaty in the first place, and how it truly affected the country. Whether you agree or not, these facts are there and shouldn’t be ignored. Use them to your advantage. So there. From this, I think we can all agree. New Zealand, at the time, really did need the treaty.

Damn White People.

In social studies, we are learning about the Treaty of Waitangi and the effects it had on people involved. To understand more about treaties, we were tasked to research one of the treaties given to us. Either the Act/Treaty of Union of 1707 (between Scotland and England) or the treaty between the US and Native Indians. I did the Treaty Of Union. 

Graphing

What does the graph show us?
The graph shows us the rapid increase in the population of Europeans
living in New Zealand and a steady decrease in the Maori population

Why do you think the numbers of Maori changed?
A lot of Maori were dying due to vast causes. These include stuff like
the musket wars, carried diseases etc. They were also beginning to be
"bred out" as many Europeans had Maori partners.

Why do you think the numbers of Europeans changed?
Europeans were rarely involved in anything that would get them killed.
They had some form of aid for diseases and as the news spread, more
and more Europeans would arrive.

Oh My Gods...

This week in social studies, each of our tables was asked to answer a set of three questions regarding Religion and beliefs in British missionaries vs in early Maori culture. 

Here are our answers...

Question One - Discuss the idea of Mythology/stories in religion, and the role myths and stories play in society

Mythology is something that gives people something to believe in, something to rely on and sometimes even hope. It gives people a purpose for existing, a feeling of safety, and gives answers for otherwise unexplainable things. Most stories give a base for cultural beliefs, practice and morals. 

Question Two - What similarities are there between the myths and stories of Màori and the first British Missionaries?

Each religion believes in a higher power or being, they share some fundamental principles. They both had religious stories to back up their beliefs, in which they have at least one form of creation story.

Question Three - Why would a difference between Màori beliefs and English beliefs cause conflict?

Because they both had different point of view. Their religions consisted of many things that the other couldn't handle due to their own. They both had opposing and contradicting fundamentals. Imagine if someone came into your house and told you everything you had believed since you were younger was wrong just because they thought so.

--

The lesson before answering these questions, we were tasked to create a poster that included one of the many gods in Maori beliefs and one of their stories. I chose Tangaroa, the god of the sea.

A Full Face Of Makeup

The first known use of cosmetic makeup was found in 4000 B.C. with Ancient Egyptians. Both men and women were found with almond-shaped eyeliner, used skincare oils and perfumes to protect their skin and prevent offensive body odour. Cosmetics were apart of everyday routine.

Hieroglyphics and sarcophagus depict them with large almond-shaped eyes, surrounded by a lot of eyeliner. They would wear said eyeliner every day as they believed it allowed gods such as Horus and Ra to keep them from sickness. Scientists were surprised to hear that they didn't fall ill to lead poisoning as the eyeliner back then was made from lead salts. It did quite the opposite, actually, as the salts produced nitric oxide which boosted their immune systems. To make black eyeliner, they would use a lead-based mineral called Galena and soot to then store in carved stone pots. For green eyeliner, that they also used, they would take a crushed malachite stone powder and add in water or animal fat to create a paste. It would later be applied with a bone, ivory or wood stick. The substance was known to repel flies and protect eyes from the harsh sun.

To create their idea of blush and lipstick, they would take red ochre from tinted clay, wash it to get rid of sand and then dry it out in the sun. To get a darker colour, it would be burned. Sometimes, oils or fats were added to make it a smooth paste. It would be applied to the cheeks and lips with a blush. Nowadays, lipstick is made with various waxes, oils and pigments and blush is made with powders often coloured with mica pigments. 

Ancient Egyptians would use crush up henna leaves to create a paste that they then

A Stone Age Artist

Stone Age Art!

So in the stone age, people didn't exactly have paintbrushes. Or paint. Instead, they would use their hands or sticks to work with dyes from berries or flowers, sometimes even crushed up rocks. They used techniques like this to tell stories, whether through hidden meanings or literal pictures. 
You could find these pictures--paintings, rather--on the rocky walls of caves. 

In our last two lessons of social studies, we were tasked to plan and create our own stone age art on the walls of the older buildings. These buildings will probably be knocked down soon, so it's fine!






To your right here is my plan. Ignore the fact it looks like it was inked on by an angry squid. Are they the ones with ink?

This is proof that I actually painted and put effort into my painting.

Yes, I am using a paintbrush. Don't judge me, I don't like getting paint on my hands, okay?! 

The whole process was very fun but kind of irritating when I picked up sand rather than putting down paint.

This is my final product. I cut out one of my animal creatures because of spacing issues.

What exactly is going on here? Well, it looks like these people are hunting the early ancestors of the alpaca. I don't know man, these were meant to be giraffes but they look more like llamas and alpacas.

And for sh*ts and giggles, here's a video of us 10Hh idiots

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Cellphones. The Boomer's Devil

In social studies, we've been doing a small study on device use in our year and the history of cellphones.

First, we had to record how much we use our devices, this is shown in these charts.
Over 77 hours (From Friday at 3pm to Monday at 8:30), we recorded how many hours we spent using anything from our phones to our laptops. I used "Instant" an app on the Play Store. We shoved all this information onto a doc to throw into these charts. We can see that Phones are the most used and people are using their devices for around 11 to 15 hours of a weekend.

Over these 77 hours, we had to create a timeline showing information on the history of cellphones and how they have evolved.
<- This
is it :)

I Don't Really Care 'Bout What They Say

Imma come back like a boomerang! That's right, 10Hh has been doing work surrounding boomerangs. It may sound kinda strange but it makes sense I swear. 
In class, we have been talking about Aboriginal culture and their history. A piece of that culture is their boomerangs. I did a whole project on them. You can see that here: Aboriginal Art!

Above is my own boomerang that I designed and painted. I didn't actually know what to do so I ended up creating small flower-like things using dots. In theory, I was meant to create a story with them, using symbols and icons. Buuut, with my poor painting and drawing skills, that really wasn't exactly an option. So instead I did this. Dots were a big part of their art, so it works anyway.

 Above and below are videos of us throwing the boomerangs. The whole point of this part of the topic was to apply what we had learnt to a physical object. I assume the throwing part was just for fun. And fun it was! I only threw mine once and I don't think there is a video of that but I got a ton of things of other people! Chyna ended throwing mine and losing it. Twice. But we found it so it was chill.

Ready To Set Sail!

In Social Studies we have been learning about migration, push and pull factors and more. After learning about the push factors of London in the 19th Century and the pull factors of New Zealand, we were tasked to create a story in the point of view of a New Zealand bound emigrant. This is mine. (It kind of ties in with Chyna's story, as we used the same characters BUT her's is in the POV (point of view) of the husband)

~~~~~~~~~~~~

To say London was a hell on Earth after the industrial revolution would be an understatement. Citizens who were once living with a breeze are now half dead and barely able to afford rent, if at all. God, to think that this city used to have clean air… I wouldn’t know, would I? Born into it all, I got the short end of the stick. Orphaned at an early age, I was surprised I made it this far working in child factories, teaching myself how to read and write. Then, at age twenty-five, the poor living conditions were slowly driving me insane.

I lived in a cramped neighbourhood where all the houses could almost touch, with my husband, Finn. He worked as an agricultural labourer for a living, barely making enough to keep us fed and off of the streets. It’s not like I, Faye Miller, a woman in the 1800s, could do much about it anyway. So I stayed at home most of the time, trying my best to keep the minuscule space clean when I wasn’t working in domestic services. That wasn’t even the worst of it.

Our bathrooms were shared with our neighbours. The entire house was made out of cheap materials, being the direct cause of damp walls and ceilings, so don’t me started on mould. We had no running water and the water that we did have was connected to the sewage pipes. Which just opens the door for so many different diseases.

~~~

January 30, 1854

Salutations.

I’m not entirely sure whom I’m writing this to. Myself or someone else. But to whoever is reading this, good day. I’m Faye Miller. A twenty-five-year-old, miserable Londoner who has slowly been driving herself insane.

Safe to say, I hate my house. I hate my city. I hate my life. I’m tired all the time. I’m surrounded by sickness and disease. My wage barely exists. I’m more of a burden to Finn than I am a luxury. I hate it. I hate it. I hate it. As if you couldn’t already tell, I tend to complain a lot. I can’t help it, this life is a dump.

With that said, in a few weeks, Finn and I are embarking on a trip, New Zealand bound. Earlier today, Finn stumbled home from work, eyes wide with desire. He told me of the posters scattered around the city, screaming of a new home. A new hope.

Wish me luck.

~~~

Like so many others, we decided enough was enough. For months we had been seeing poster after poster about this newly discovered paradise. An escape basically fell at our feet. With a promise of better living conditions, jobs for both Finn and I, and altogether a better life, how could we turn an opportunity like this down? I can remember the day we left so vividly

My heart pounded with anticipation and fear as my fingers intertwined with Finn’s. The boat sat looming in front of us as we stood sheepishly on the docks of London. I had no idea what was in store for us. Anxiety only worsened at cabin passengers began to board, pushing through the usual crowding. We couldn’t afford to be with the cabin passengers, as expected, so we made a temporary home in steerage.

Go to New Zealand, they said. It will be paradise, they said. Well, what they failed to mention was the cramped, wet, cold, and grimy one hundred and twenty days in the hell people call steerage. While it wasn’t much worse than the conditions at home, at least at home we had proper bedding. Provided with not much more than mattresses, many restless nights ensued.

First of all, pests invaded the ships. I’m not entirely sure how that happened, but here we are.  And then we were subjected to flooding when waves rolled over the ship. I could only imagine what it was like to not almost constantly have a soaked bed. Not to mention the smells… Let me tell you, onboard toilets and livestock are not a good mix. While the cabin passengers were living on fresh meat and milk, us poor survived on preserved meat, ship’s biscuit, flour, oatmeal and dried potatoes. The only good thing is that we were never short. Those in steerage were limited access to fresh water. The same fresh water that would deteriorate in a few months anyway. I remember watching fellow passengers, cabin and steerage alike, catching rainwater in place of the stuff they stored in barrels.

Hygiene was almost impossible to keep well. With a lack of fresh water, people would attempt to use salt water but even with the nicest soap, it wasn’t an easy feat. When we reached tropics, men would swim or even get hosed down by sailors onboard to keep cool and clean, but women were usually straight up denied the chance. Something about preserving propriety. With these poor conditions, the chances of catching some disease were at a peak. Scarlet fever, diphtheria, whooping cough and measles overtook voyagers, mostly children.

We spent our days entertaining ourselves in various ways. Finn and I would love to watch dolphins and flying fish swim past our boat, accompanied by the albatrosses and whales. I heard the cabin passengers with their concerts and plays and debates, green with envy. However, it didn’t matter, I was quickly distracted by passing boats, waving handkerchiefs and passing letters. Those interactions were uncommon but also quite fun. The lower decks would rarely interact with the cabin passengers, because for what reason would the privileged want to hang with the bums. When they did, I found they were really quite sweet.

~~~

February 27, 1854

Greetings,

I’m not sure how many of these I’ve done so far, nor how long we’ve been on the water. I’ve tried to do a letter every day of the trip but my resources are running out. There really isn’t much to do in the first place.  Finn and I manage to get by though. He loves taking me to watch the dolphins. They remind me of freedom sometimes. The days ahead of me.

The food makes me feel sick though. We’ve eaten the same dried food for days and days and days now. I swear if I have to cook any damn potatoes after we arrive, I may kill someone. Considering my husband is a farmer, I guess I have no promises.

I really don’t like this boat and I’ve made it very clear so far. The rats, the cold, the damp.  If I thought London was bad, this was clearly worse. Children with whooping coughs keep me up all night. I smell and feel horrible when it’s sweltering while Finn gets to swim in the tropics. Purely because he’s male. The only thing I hate more than this boat and London is how I’m treated sometimes. But that’s the way the cookie crumbles, right? Tangent, I apologise.

I can’t wait for this trip to end. From what I’ve heard about this place, I’m sure to enjoy it. I’m not sure how fast things will get going for us, but I trust Finn and I could barely survive on my own at this point. I’ve got to go, I’m running out of pages.

Farewell.

~~~

It took three bloody months for the torture to end. As much as I hate to say it, I think it was worth it. We arrived in Lyttelton, a new found hope. I had been scared the whole trip, worried that I wasn’t going to make it as I watched people fall deathly ill all around me. Yet there I was, standing on deck watching the land draw nearer and nearer, a mix of nausea and hope growing in my stomach.

Once off the boat, we were herded into quarantine, where I watched the unlucky few drop like flies. I didn’t know any of them, for better or worse. In quarantine, I felt almost safe. Almost. We had protection, nobody could get out. Or in. The bedding and the passengers were disinfected before we were let go.

Now out and about, I could finally take in my surroundings. New Zealand was beautiful. The people there were wonderful. The natives were so alien yet so kind, there were so many of them. It wasn’t a problem. Sometimes I couldn’t understand them, or I couldn’t say their names right, making me feel guilty.

~~~

May 15th 1854

Hello again,

It’s been a little while since I wrote. I’ve completely forgotten about this, I’ve been way too caught up in this new life. New Zealand is incredible. It’s so much better than London already. We arrived in Canterbury not too long ago, in the Lyttelton harbour. Finn has already gotten a decent paying job and I’m after one at the moment.

I love the people here. Everyone is so kind already. The natives seem a little reluctant but it’s only to be expected. How would you feel if people took over your home? Sometimes they speak in a foreign tongue and get in trouble, and I’d feel horrible. It’s like they’re trying to erase their whole lives. Life is unfair, we get used to it.

I think Finn likes it here. I mean, I haven’t asked yet but he hasn’t complained at all yet. I should ask him. Update: I asked and he said he did. But that’s about it. I’m not sure what’s in store for me or whether I should be scared.

Here’s to a new life?

The Horrors Of Child Sex Trafficking

In Social Studies, we were given the task to research one of the following; Child Trafficking, Child Slavery and Child Soldiers. I chose to do Child Trafficking, but more specifically, Child Sex Trafficking.

Below is the final presentation of my research :)

The Atlantic Slave Trade

The slave trade triangle was the route and plans of how African slaves got from Africa to America and the 'pit stops' that the boats had. The first passage carried guns and other weapons from Europe to Africa. The middle passage took the slaves kidnapped from Africa to America to be sold as unpayed workers. The third passage took the tobacco and cotton harvested by the slaves over to Europe. The triangle then started again. 

Harriet Tubman And Slavery

In Social Studies we have been learning about American Slavery. One of the topics we covered was Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad. Above is my slideshow on the matter.

Social Studies - Human Rights

The first tasks of Social Studies 2019, Human Rights!

We were assigned two different tasks. One of which we had to create a poster. Below is mine! Sorry if it's a bit hard to read.

Our second task was to rate our top 5 most important rights. We were to get into groups and debate these until we all agreed on a collective top 5. These were my group's

 No One Can Take Away Your Human Rights. 

We chose this one as our #1 because we believe what's the point in having human rights if they're just going to be taken away?

We Are All Born Free & Equal. We are all born free. We all have our own thoughts and ideas. We should all be treated in the same way.

 The Right to Life. 

Live would be pretty bad if you couldn't live in freedom or in safety

The Right to Education.

Education is a right. Primary school should be free. We should learn about the United Nations and how to get on with others. 

Food and Shelter for All. 

We all have the right to a good life. Mothers and children, people who are old, unemployed or disabled, and all people have the right to be cared for.