As with many modern nations, New Zealand history can be broken in to rough eras of pre-colonial and post-colonial. Unlike many others, though, the indigenous Maori Guardsman culture has influenced history and plays a strong role in the development of the society as a whole. Maori Protectors manifest as very large dogs similar in looks to the Telomian breed. This has proven to be a strong line of Protectors, whose offspring often manifest similarly, even if they are mixed-race. The current population rate for Guardsmen in New Zealand is an incredibly high .05% of the population, a number that is matched only by Japan and the Bantu peoples of Central and South Africa and a few smaller regional populations. This reflects an almost miraculous recovery (and high childbirth rate) from the decimation that occurred to the NZ Guardsmen during WWI and thanks in no small part to the nearly unique .09% manifestation rate among the Maori.

Chronological History

1250 – 1840

[To be written]

1840 – 1918

Upon the signing of the treaty of Waitangi, making New Zealand a colony of the British empire, all newly manifested Guardsmen were required by law to go to England for training. After bonding, some were granted dispensation to return to New Zealand immediately, however most were sent to various outpost of the empire as part of colonial governments.

Despite the law, many Iwi hid their Guardsmen out of tradition and as a protest against colonial rule. Many rural families also indefinitely delayed sending their children to England, claiming that they needed farm hands far more than England needed another dog. (The last recorded case of this was in 1958 with Jimmy McAlester, who worked on his family farm until his late teens when his father decided they could earn some extra money entering sheepdog trials. Having no idea how regular dogs responded to Protectors, which is very badly if they are not trained to be around them, they were immediately identified and disqualified. Jimmy eventually bonded with a member of the rural police force whom they worked with until Jimmy became the first Protector to run for public office. He ran in the Waitaki district on the Labour ticket but lost to the incumbent National candidate. It was a predictable loss but he is remembered and honored for 'starting the conversation'.)

In 1914, during the First World War, the majority of New Zealand-based Guardsmen volunteered for or were eventually drafted into the ANZAC units (Australia/New Zealand Army Corps). Along with the rest of the unit, the ANZAC Guardsmen suffered devastating loses. Not a single Guardsmen on either side survived Gallipoli, and they have a separate memorial at ANZAC cove to remember their losses, which while not comparatively high in number still nearly completely wiped out the New Zealand Guardsmen as a whole. This memorial will be rededicated by the international council on April 25, 2015 as part of the centenary commemorations.

Overall only one in nine New Zealand Guardsmen pairs returned from the First World War. Australia, Canada, and other British colonies suffered similar loses.

1918 – Present

In 1918, by an act of Parliament and in cooperation with the still-emergent International Guardsman Institute located in Switzerland, the Guardsmen Institute of New Zealand (GINZ) was founded. Australia, India, and other British colonies who suffered high Guardsmen losses during the First World War were granted the same allowance.

The land owned by the institute is actually quite small, located east of Canterbury between mount Taylor and Mt. Harper, near Lake Emma (-43.638725, 171.117303). The land was donated by the family of a Protector, Kevin Davis, who died with his Handler during the War. Guardsmen generally refer to it as Kevin's Place or The KD. The GINZ has permission from the Department of Conservation (DoC) and surrounding sheep stations to use as much land as the want as long as no livestock is harassed and they assist with the annual muster. The muster has turned into an annual competition between Guardsmen and regular sheep dogs. So far the guardsmen have yet to win. The term "herding like a Protector" has entered the common parlance to describe any person trying to accomplish something with no success.

Traditionally New Zealand Guardsmen joined law enforcement or the military, with the military still assisting in some of their training. However with the rising anti-nuclear policies and increased environmental awareness of the early 80s, many Guardsmen began joining DoC and Biosecurity agencies. Guardsmen are credited with ridding many smaller islands surrounding New Zealand of invasive pests allowing for the survival of critically endangered species including the Kakapo and Black Robin.

There is an annual All Protector possum hunt sponsored by DoC and the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand. One point is granted for every possum and a half a point for rats, mice, stoats, and weasels (as all these species can climb trees it is a harder hunt than most people think, and competition is fierce).

Currently Protectors are learning to sniff out Pytophthora taxon Agathis in soil in an attempt to halt Kauri Dieback.

Cultural History

Traditions

As the time of the founding of the GINZ there was some residual bitterness surrounding the losses of the First World War. Since there were and still are a higher per-capita percentage of Maori Protectors to Pākehā more of their Guardsmen traditions were able to survive than other first nation's people. Graduation takes place at the large Marae on the shore of Lake Emma just after Matariki. Graduates arrive by Waka at dawn, which they are required to paddle themselves. After the pōwhiri the graduate are allowed to enter first, even before teachers and dignitaries.

The primary ceremony comes from almost a century of compromise and negotiation since each iwi has its own set of rituals, as well as holdovers from the old British traditions. Pairs often trade carved Greenstone, some newly carved, some of it passed through families for centuries.

Politicians and dignitaries are often present at the ceremony. The Governor-General always attends as a representative of Her Majesty. Despite a slow split from the military, the Chief of the Defense Force as well as the Minister of defense is always present. Local representatives of graduates attend as numbers of guardsmen are a matter of local pride, especially in the Northland area. The Prime Minister attends mostly in election years. The Minister of Guardsmen affairs also attends, however this is controversial since the Minister is a political appointee and often has no connections to any Guardsmen. Any visiting head of state or high ranked foreign official who is in the country at the time is also expected to attend. The speeches given by the politicians are often so heavily recycled and generic that it has led to a common, if much frowned upon, drinking game.

Sports

The GINZ has a long sporting tradition. There is an annual Handlers v. Protectors rugby match which goes to the Protectors 90% of the time.

Every two years in early April the GINZ and the Australian Guardsmen Institute engage in a week of friend competition in the ANZAC spirit. This has happened almost since the inception of the two Institutes with a break only for the Second World War. There are the standard Guardsmen trials as well as a rugby match and a one day cricket game. The cricket nearly always goes to Australia with the rugby nearly always going to New Zealand, the proper trials acting as a tie breaker. In 2015 New Zealand managed to sweep the competition, apparently in response to New Zealand's 7 wicket loss to Australia in the Cricket World Cup just a month earlier.

Current Challenges

In the last 15 years there has been a steady increase in Asian, particularly Chinese immigrants to New Zealand. This has led to an increase of newly manifested Guardsmen of Chinese decent in New Zealand. For those born to families whom retain their Chinese citizenship, the Dogwood Institute of China has politely requested that the children be returned to China to train there. The GINZ has politely said no. Normally this would be a strictly Guardsmen issue, however China is a major trading partner, buying over 70% of New Zealand's exported milk solids, as well as speculating heavily in the property market. As a result politicians on both sides have felt the need to weigh in.

Some families have volunteered to send their children back to China. This has led to two cases of New Zealand-born children requesting asylum against their parent's wishes. The cases are currently before the courts and are being heavily championed by TV personality John Campbell.

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International aid agencies and human rights groups are requesting that New Zealand and other countries create a separate refugee quota for Guardsmen, especially coming out of Middle Eastern conflict zones, since they are in higher risk situations. This is currently being debated but is unlikely to happen under the current government.

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At present three Guardsmen, all Handlers, have served in the New Zealand Parliament, all of them since the introduction of the MMP. Two came from the Maori Party list and one from the Green Party list. There is currently one running for Russel Norman's vacated co-leader seat. He is not expected to win but is popular with those who feel the Greens have drifted away from their original environmental roots.