Causes of Tension: Land, Culture, and Power
- Land Seizure
- European settlers viewed land as private property, while Aboriginal and Māori peoples saw it as communal and sacred.
- Doctrines of Possession
- In Australia, the British declared terra nullius (“land belonging to no one”), ignoring Aboriginal ownership.
- Broken Promises
- In New Zealand, the Treaty of Waitangi (1840) promised Māori protection but was often violated by British settlers seeking farmland.
- Resource Competition
- Expansion of pastoral farming and mining displaced indigenous communities from hunting, fishing, and sacred sites.
- Cultural Superiority
- Settlers believed in the “civilizing mission,” promoting Christianity and Western education while suppressing native languages and traditions.
Definition
Terra Nullius
- Legal doctrine meaning “land belonging to no one.”
Definition
Pastoral Expansion
- Growth of sheep and cattle farming on indigenous lands.
Outbreaks and Nature of Conflict
- Frontier Wars (Australia)
- Dozens of local wars between settlers and Aboriginal nations (1788–1930s); most were guerrilla-style resistance led by figures like Pemulwuy and Yagan.
- Māori Resistance (New Zealand)
- Series of New Zealand Wars (1845–1872) fought over breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi and land confiscations.
- Unequal Technology
- Indigenous groups used traditional weapons against firearms and organized colonial militias.
- Massacres and Retaliation
- Violence escalated e.g., Myall Creek Massacre (1838) in Australia; Waikato Campaign (1863–1864) in New Zealand.
