🕊️ Moriori

The Pacifist People of the Chatham Islands

Who Are the Moriori?

The Moriori are the indigenous Polynesian people of the Chatham Islands (Rēkohu), located 800 kilometers east of New Zealand. They descend from Polynesian voyagers who arrived around 1500 CE, developing a unique culture adapted to the islands' harsh sub-Antarctic climate. By the 19th century, they numbered approximately 2,000—then suffered near-total destruction through invasion and colonization.

Today, the Moriori population has revived to over 1,000 people, many living in mainland New Zealand while maintaining connections to Rēkohu. Their story represents both tragedy and resilience—the devastating consequences of colonialism and intergroup violence, followed by cultural revival against seemingly impossible odds.

1,000+Population Today
2,000Pre-1835 Population
500+Years of History
1835Invasion Year

Nunuku's Covenant of Peace

The Moriori are distinguished by their ancestral commitment to peace. According to tradition, the ancestor Nunuku-whenua declared a law: disputes must be settled without killing. Combat could continue until first blood was drawn, then must stop. This "Nunuku's Law" reportedly ended cycles of violent conflict that had plagued early settlement.

For generations, the Moriori maintained this pacifist tradition. Without war, population grew; without weapons development, energy went to food production and culture. Their society was egalitarian, with resources shared and no hereditary chiefs. This peace ethic would prove catastrophic when violence arrived from outside.

The 1835 Invasion

In 1835, two Māori iwi (tribes) from Taranaki—Ngāti Mutunga and Ngāti Tama—arrived on European ships. They had been displaced from their own lands by other Māori during the Musket Wars. Approximately 900 armed warriors landed on the Chathams and systematically conquered the islands.

The Moriori held a council and decided to uphold Nunuku's Law, offering peace and friendship. The invaders responded with slaughter—killing and eating hundreds, enslaving survivors, forbidding Moriori marriage and reproduction. By 1862, only 101 Moriori survived. The population reached its nadir of 35 in 1933 before slowly recovering.

Tree Carvings (Rakau Momori)

The Moriori carved distinctive images into the bark of living kopi trees—over 1,000 carvings have been documented, though many have been lost as trees died. These rakau momori depict human figures, birds, fish, and abstract designs, their meanings now largely unknown. They represent one of the Pacific's unique art traditions.

Unlike New Zealand Māori carving in wood, Moriori carved living trees, creating images that would grow and change with the tree. Some scholars suggest they served as boundary markers or memorials; others propose religious significance. Today, surviving carvings are protected, and contemporary Moriori artists continue the tradition.

Cultural Revival

After decades when the Moriori were declared "extinct" and their history was distorted to serve colonial narratives, revival began in the late 20th century. Descendants organized, researched their history, and reasserted their identity. The Moriori language, nearly lost, has been partially reconstructed from historical records.

In 2020, Moriori achieved Treaty of Waitangi settlement recognizing historical injustices and providing resources for cultural revival. A new meeting house on Rēkohu serves as a cultural center. Moriori today balance honoring their ancestors' peace ethic while advocating firmly for recognition and rights.

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