The Welcome of Strangers

‘At Parika we received the welcome of strangers in a bountiful supply of fern-root, preserved wekas and fish,’ wrote Thomas Brunner in 1847.

When Thomas Brunner recorded this moment of generosity on the West Coast, he was encountering a way of life shaped over generations – sustained by seasonal rhythms, mahinga kai and deep networks of exchange. The Welcome of Strangers is an authoritative account of that world: the history of southern Māori, told by distinguished archaeologist Atholl Anderson. This updated edition brings together new research, detailed maps and a compelling visual narrative to illuminate a layered and enduring history.

Professor Anderson traces the origins of early Waitaha and Kāti Māmoe, and the later migrations, conflicts and settlements of the hapū who became Ngāi Tahu. Drawing on tribal knowledge, early written records and archaeological insights, he details the movements, encounters and exchanges that shaped these southern regions. He shows how people lived seasonally from the land and sea, supported by long-distance trade and a deep knowledge of place. These were the communities that the first Europeans in Niu Tīreni encountered, as whalers, sealers and missionaries made their way around the coast.

Originally published in 1998, this new edition is co-published with Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu – bringing fresh life to a foundational text and communicating the whakapapa and histories that remain central to southern Māori identity today.