 biblical injunction associated with the code comes from the New Testament Book of Romans:
Ki te matekai tou hoariri, whāngainga; ki te matewai, whakainumia
Therefore, if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink … Romans 12:20
In the heat of battle, the Māori soldiers gave practical effect to their code of conduct and the Christian principles which they embodied. It is probably this juxtaposition of “savages” behaving in such a civilised manner which so captured the Victorian mindset.
What happened at Gate Pā probably helped mould the view that later came to be held by the general who led the troops, Duncan Cameron, that the motives for the war in New Zealand were ill-founded. This view culminated in his falling out with the settler government and his eventual resignation and return to England in August 1865.
This code was also said by some to have been instrumental in forming the Imperial regular force soldier’s later opinion that Māori were worthy opponents and deserving of respect.
Fifty years after the battle in 1914, the Mayor of Tauranga spoke these words at the unveiling of a stone monument to the Ngāiterangi leader at Gate Pā, Rāwiri Puhirake:
The warriors of the native race were always noted for great physical courage. In addition to this, Rawiri held a still greater attribute. He had the moral courage to do what he considered right … He insisted that the prisoners of war should be treated with mercy, and at Gate Pa he himself saw to it that his orders were carried out. It is difficult to estimate the moral courage required for an action of this sort …
The humanity of the Māori defenders at Gate Pā is what makes that battle stand out from every other colonial conflict in this country. It was something that truly captured the Victorian sentiment of the day.
On his return to England in 1868, Augustus Selwyn, chaplain to the troops and the first Anglican Bishop of New Zealand, commissioned a stained glass window commemorating the battle and the Māori chivalry. The windows are in the episcopal chapel attached to Lichfield Cathedral and are said to have been part funded by soldiers who took part in the battle.
A fine monument to the fighting in New Zealand was also erected at Greenwich in London. The Lichfield window very much captures the gleam of humanity amidst the darkness of conflict that makes the story of the battle at Gate Pā so compelling, to the point that it has taken on the mantle of legend.
This is an excerpt from the book Victory at Gate Pa?, written by Buddy Mikaere and Cliff Simons, and published by New Holland Publishers. It is reproduced here with permission. (Newhollandpublishers.com RRP $39.99)
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