Maori Origins and Migrations: The Genesis of Some Pakeha Myths and Legends

Since Europeans first set foot in New Zealand they have speculated about where the Maori people came from, how they made their way to New Zealand, and how they lived when they arrived there. Theories have abounded: some of them have hardened into accepted truth. The result has been a accumulation of Pakeha myths about Maori origins. This book describes the process of this myth making. A study of the development of ideas, it is both fascinating and salutary. Illustrated with photographs