Parihaka Day
On the coast of Aotearoa, near Mount Taranaki, lies an important place called Parihaka which has a lot to teach us about the history of injustice in New Zealand, and the importance of hope and peace.
In the years following the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi in 1840, colonial greed and racism enabled the government to unlawfully confiscate land and wage war against groups of Māori who sought to defend their territory.
During the 1860s, the community at Parihaka became a haven for different groups of Māori, and a place of resistance to land confiscation and encroaching settlement. The people of Parihaka had a peaceful campaign, led by Te Whiti and Tohu, that consisted of ploughing up confiscated land, removing surveying pegs, and placing fencing.
In response, the government arrested these peaceful people and sent them far away, to Wellington, and to the South Island where they were forced to build roads. On 5 November 1881, Parihaka was invaded by a military force of 1600 armed constabulary. Māori people who were not originally from the Parihaka area were forced to leave. Violence was inflicted against the people. Their leaders were arrested. Buildings were damaged. Te Whiti and Tohu were held without trial for two years, before returning home in 1883.
Despite all of this harm, Parihaka was rebuilt by its people, and still thrives today. Parihaka reminds us of what hope and working together can achieve, especially in the face of injustice.
A Place to Remember
The memorial at Pukeahu War Memorial Park
At Pukeahu War Memorial Park, on the north-west corner of the old Dominion Museum building, there is a memorial dedicated to the people of Taranaki and Parihaka who were imprisoned in the Mount Cook barracks. The memorial represents a prisoner wrapped up in a blanket. The base of the monument is made of stones from Taranaki. As you wander through Wellington, this is the perfect spot to take a moment to reflect on the Parihaka legacy of peace.
Online resources for tamariki to learn more about Parihaka
Image: Parihaka by Josiah Martin on DigitalNZ.
AnyQuestions offers free online homework help to New Zealand school students. AnyQuestions provides a librarian chat service, from 1pm to 6pm Monday to Friday during the school year. The website also has great ManyAnswers articles on important topics and places. This Parihaka article will help show you more great places to find information!
One of the other great sources is the National Library topic explorer page for Parihaka, which has links to photographs, articles, and videos.