I got derailed by an unstated assumption in B Moon's letter (The Weekend Sun, May 19, 2017)) ‘Value of land owed to hard work'. To wit: ‘Once tribes realised they could live by agriculture...'

They already were living by agriculture – what else do you call cutting down forest to plant kumara?

No, Maori tribes around the time of early contact were interested in getting hold of European contacts for trade, tools and weapons, and medicine was another major reason. Stealing a march on traditional foes loomed hugely as well.

You see, when one culture comes into contact with a materially more advanced one, it has to modernise, and quickly. A similar thing happened in Europe with the Christianisation of the English and the Scandinavians and the Russians. It underlies the discussion in Brennunjalssaga (The Story of Burnt Njal) when the Icelandic leaders agreed to accept Christianity.

And the quickest way of getting that done is to invite the foreigners to settle. Please tell B Moon education is a fine thing.

W Parish, Bellevue