Dicky Barrett : trader, whaler, interpreter

Abstract

Dicky Barrett arrived at Ngamotu in Taranaki in 1828. This marked the beginning of a 19 year relationship with Te Ati Awa, the local iwi. The relationship was not based on force but on co-operation and accommodation. It forced into being what Richard White has called the middle ground, a place in between cultures. Each party had something that the other wanted. Barrett wanted dressed flax and Te Ati Awa wanted muskets and other European goods. To achieve their goals, both sides were prepared to compromise. Barrett adopted a Pakeha-Maori lifestyle, which combined elements from both cultures. Te Ati Awa adopted certain innovations such as barter and the production of an economic surplus. Yet neither Barrett nor Te Ati Awa capitulated to the culture of the other. Both were selective in the cultural elements that they adopted.