Settlers on the North Island had troubles almost at once. The thick
forests made land clearance slow. Also, most of the Maoris lived
on the North Island, and tensions over land purchases soon mounted between
the settlers and the Maoris. The Maoris believed that their land
belonged to the Maori tribes, not individuals. A whole tribe had
to agree to sell before any land could be sold. But the settlers
were impatient to buy land and some tried to make purchases without the
consent of Maori chiefs. The settlers' actions angered some Maori
leaders. In 1845, Hone Heke, a Maori chief, headed an uprising on
the North Island. The uprising marked the start of the New Zealand
Wars (sometimes called the Land Wars or the Maori Wars). The newly
appointed governor, Sir George Grey, defeated Hone Heke in 1846.
But racial tensions continued as Maoris still refused to sell their land
to pakehas.
In 1858, to symbolize their unity, several Maori tribes joined to choose
Chief Te Wherowhero as their king. War broke out again in 1860 and
spread through much of the North Island. The fighting continued off
and on until 1872, when the Maori leader Te Kooti was forced to retreat.
He withdrew to a remote area of the island, where the British troops decided
not to pursue him.
During the New Zealand Wars, the government seized Maori lands for public
use. The Maoris' morale was shaken by the wars and the seizure of
their lands. Also, diseases continued to reduce their population.
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