The go-betweens - pre-1840 contact

The go-betweens: intermediaries in early New Zealand

An important feature of early contact in New Zealand was the role of intermediaries or kaiwhakarite who acted as go-betweens – people from one culture who lived with the other culture and helped bridge the gap between them.

Europeans were aware that there was money to be made in New Zealand through whaling, sealing, flax and timber, and intermediaries helped smooth the way. Maori women who lived with European men, either as wives or in purely sexual relationships, offered a form of protection as Maori were less likely to attack if women were present.

Maori were also aware of the potential benefits of establishing relationships with Europeans. Women were used as a way of attracting and keeping a Pakeha in the community and therefore ensuring contact with other Europeans. As hapu and iwi sought to gain an advantage over their rivals, acquiring a European trader became a matter of mana as much as economics.