Nights' Pundit - Peter Clayworth

Peter Clayworth will examine how the idea of a pre-Maori New Zealand population was actually developed and generally adopted in the early twentieth century. The "Moriori myth", along with the narrative of the Great Fleet, was the product of collaboration between Pakeha and Maori scholars, as they tried to create one migration story from many conflicting traditions. It was then promoted through the School Journal during the First World War to encourage both Pakeha and Maori patriotism.