The truth about Captain Cook and Maori: it’s not what Michael King told you
Captain Cook’s first week in New Zealand was a bloody one, as he and the Maori tested each other’s mettle. The usual routine in the more politically-correct New Zealand history books is to imply that Cook shot innocent Maori because he and his crew were unfamiliar with Maori haka and challenges. Cook may have been new to NZ waters, but he and his officers were not entirely stupid. They had, after all, spent a lot of time in the Pacific islands, and had on board the Tahitian chief Tupaea as their cultural advisor and translator.
https://investigatemagazine.co.nz/27473/the-truth-about-captain-cook-and-maori-its-not-what-michael-king-told-you/