Maori on the banks of their lands
In the 1830s the first Maori Wars (Musket Wars) had changed the borders of many Maori Iwi and founded new territories in the Northern Regions. The Girls War was titled by Te Ruki Kawiti of Nga' Puhi who sneered at battles among his own Iwi, but who allowed Maori tradition to take it's course. Te Ruki Kawiti was revered in New Zealand politics, a General in equal rank and his reputation had spread overseas with missionary and Euro-military who titled him "The Duke Kawiti".
The Women of Nga Puhi Declare War
The Girls War occurred between the Maori Nga' Puhi Iwi themselves between their women of influential power in March. Disputes were over a variety of North Land properties, beginning with the owning of a British Captain himself, his ship, inventory and services. The initial disputes over property escalated quickly and eventually arguments over management of the entire region's trades was in dispute with the Nga Puhi being the owners of the future Capitol of New Zealand at Kororareka. Even the ownership of Euro-public industrial workers including the surveyors in the Kororareka City area became an issue.
"Although the Girls War title is a unique one in History, it doesn't help explain what the War was about, which was over future control of a new forming New Zealand Capital City at Kororareka. These disputes are drawing out the lines of ownership before a Treaty of Waitangi is announced"
The Maori Iwi feud has been said to have included fights over future positions within the new "New Zealand Capital offices", social and business disputes resulting in several in-house battles, one including an "Utu" (revenge) battle over Chief Hengi of Whangaroa being shot and killed. Hengi's sons then took up campaign in their father's honor. Eventually The Duke Kawiti who's rank gave him his "will to do as much as he pleased" and interfered taking control over all Nga Puhi conflicts. He then distributed property rights within the City to Nga' Puhi members to end the inner-Iwi feud.
The Percy Racial Anger over Maori Authority
A British author and immigrant, a Mr. S Percy Smith wrote his own views on the Nga Puhi Maori Allies, though some what inaccurate, his work helped gain a picture of Maori authority and of some of the attitudes toward their Maori masters who were constantly providing protection over Euro-Colonies in their regions. Mr. Stevenson Percy Smith was of common birth working as a surveyor after leaving from England, and his views on England's position as a powerhouse of Arts and Sciences too was from a commoners stand-point, a man unaware of his own nation's weaponized education and of it's original sources provided by Southern Catholic, Eurasian, and Middle-eastern libraries. Much of his time was spent observing conditions and glorifying his own racial status and position under the Allied Maori.
Mr. Stevenson Percy Smith ~ "For the first time the Maoris became aquatinted with a white race far superior to them in all Arts and Sciences -acquainted. That is, personally, for they have embalmed In their tradition the far off recollection a fairer race than themselves which there masters encountered in some of there distant travelings. Hence the name they gave the white man, pakeha, which means pale"
Related articles: