Völkner incident
1865 killing of a missionary in colonial New Zealand by the Maori / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Völkner incident describes the execution of the German-born Protestant missionary Carl Sylvius Völkner in New Zealand in 1865 by an independent Māori judiciary, consisting of members of the Pai Mārire faith. It has come to be seen by historians as a major and consequential miscarriage of justice by the Government of New Zealand during the New Zealand Wars. The event led to the arrest and execution of several major chieftains, and the confiscation of 85,000 acres of Māori land.[1]
This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (February 2011) |
Völkner incident | |
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Part of the New Zealand Wars and New Zealand land confiscations | |
*Carl Sylvius Völkner, convicted of spying by Ōpōtiki Māori
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Date | 2 March 1865 – 5 January 1872 (6 years, 10 months and 3 days)
Trial of Mokomoko, Heremita Kahupaea, Hakaraia Te Rahui, Horomona Propiti and Mikaere Kirimangu: 27 March 1866 – 17 May 1866 (1 month, 2 weeks and 6 days) |
Location | Northern North Island, Colony of New Zealand (modern-day New Zealand)
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Born in the Electorate of Hesse, Völkner's mission took him to the lands of Te Whakatōhea at the behest of their chieftain, Mokomoko, initially an ally, who patronised him. With Whakatōhea support and guidance he established a church in Ōpōtiki in the Auckland Province (present-day Bay of Plenty). Völkner fell out with Te Whakatōhea after the Invasion of the Waikato, after which point many converted to the nascent Pai Mārire religion. Völkner was soon suspected of spying for the Crown by his former beneficiaries.
Despite hostilities Völkner had remained at Ōpōtiki, making several visits to Auckland in 1864, and again in January 1865. This further aroused suspicion that he was reporting to Governor George Grey on Whakatōhea activities without their approval. Ignoring warnings from several locals, he returned to Ōpōtiki on 1 March. Völkner was arrested almost immediately and tried on charges of espionage by Whakatōhea members of the Pai Mārire. Völkner was found guilty after a night of deliberation, and, sentenced to death, was hanged and decapitated at his church grounds.[2]
In response to Völkner's death, George Grey authorised a military expedition to Ōpōtiki to arrest those who had convicted and executed him. Between 16 and 58 people were killed in the attack, which took place on 11 September 1865,[3] and the pā was burnt to the ground.[4] A number of local people were arrested and some were executed without trial. A large parcel of land, from Matatā to east of Ōpōtiki, was confiscated from eastern Bay of Plenty iwi. Despite being uninvolved in Völkner’s death, Mokomoko was arrested after Ōpōtiki Pā was looted and burnt to the ground by colonial forces. He surrendered to them on the condition that his tribe be left alone, but was wrongfully convicted for the crime, and executed among with several others in Auckland in May 1866.[5]