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acknowledged the authority of the chief were termed Pakeha rangatira or chiefs among the
whites.” 187 “Rangatira pakeha”, in contrast, were the “Pakeha who became fluent in Maori and
who lived, dressed and fought as Maori. […] Recognising the extent of their adaptation, their
diverse abilities, courage in battle and their marriages to high-born women, the tribes accorded
these Pakeha Maori all the status, privileges and responsibilities of indigenous chiefs”. 188 While
these so-called “white chiefs” never attained a rank beyond “hapu chief”, 189 leading Pakeha
Maori were buried with all the honours of Maori chiefs. 190 Given the different atmosphere in
Maori-Pakeha relations during the 1880s, it seems likely that military competence would no
longer be a prerequisite, but the belief that one must earn one’s status through proving one’s
abilities or lineage is certainly more paramount than merely making a ‘good impression’, as is
marrying into a tribe to secure one’s position and continued involvement in tribal affairs. Despite
Tawhiao reportedly attempting to acquire the services of the Pakeha Maori, Kimble Bent, who
visited Kawhia in 1881, as his interpreter, 191 Reischek was in no way groomed to act as mediator
for the King’s future pro-European policies. He was not even fluent in Maori, despite what his
son claims, but reliant on several interpreters during his time in the King Country, particularly
when conversing with important chiefs, including Tawhiao, and recording in-depth ethnographic
details about their customs and religion. 192 Even so, the number of items gifted to him, many of
which represent the sign of chiefly rank, seem somewhat excessive in light of Reischek’s actual
standing. 193
Much weight has been placed on his receiving of huia tail feathers. 194 Huia feathers were
traditionally worn by men or women of rank, whereby the rarer the huia became the higher the
187 Trevor Bentley, Pakeha Maori: The extraordinary story of the Europeans who lived as Maori in early New
Zealand. Auckland: Penguin, 1999, 164.
188 Ibid., 164f.
189 Ibid., 96.
190 Ibid., 184-86. “Only five foreigners who attained or claimed the rank of rangatira Pakeha in the years before 1840
can be identified by name and just one European is recorded living as a white chief after this date. The pre-1840
rangatira Pakeha were James Caddel, Jem the Tahitian, John Rutherford, Jacky Marmon and Barnet Burns” (ibid.,
165).
191 Ibid., 99.
192 Kolig, Umstrittene Würde, 107, 144.
193 Coincidently, he returned the favour with little more than trinkets, such as pipes, tobacco, knives, pencils, mirrors,
rings, and silver and gold earrings (190).
194 Commenda, however, who reportedly met Reischek in Vienna, states that the explorer “erlangte […] sogar das
Häuptlingszeichen, bestehend in einer Miniaturkeule aus edlem Nephrit, die er mit demselben Stolze trug wie andere
ihm später verliehene Ehrenzeichen” (Commenda, “Nachruf”, 7). Curiously there is no direct reference to the huia
tail.
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