Redemption and Resistance: Lessons in Non-Violent Action from Early Aotearoa/New Zealand

Abstract

This article provides a brief account of the non-violent resistance of two Maori chiefs, Te Whiti and Tohu, in 19th century New Zealand. Each example of non-violent or passive resistance is unique to its historical and cultural context, but at the same time there is tangible common ground between these and other examples, such as Martin Luther King and Gandhi. This article will also build a link between the politics of acts of resistance – in this case, resistance to the acquisition of Maori land by force – and faith-based justifications. In conclusion, it is suggested that, despite the apparent failure of resistance, because of the arrest and imprisonment of those who resist, resistance succeeds in a number of key ways.