Parihaka
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Parihaka is a small community in Taranaki region, New Zealand, nestling half way between Mount Taranaki and the Tasman Sea.
It has less than 100 inhabitants today, but in the 1870s was reputed to be the largest Māori village in New Zealand when it was the centre of an important civil rights incident in the country's history.
The Parihaka International Peace Festival has been held annually there since 2006.
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[edit] History
[edit] Te Whiti o Rongomai
It was there that the Māori Prophets, Te Whiti o Rongomai and Tohu became involved in passive resistance to the confiscation of Māori land by the New Zealand Government. Open warfare had proved unavailing so Te Whiti developed a doctrine of passive resistance such as the removal of survey pegs and the ploughing up of access roads. This put the government in a quandary. It could not use the justice system to stop the Māori obstruction because seizure of the land had itself been illegal.
[edit] Invasion
On November 5, 1881 the peaceful village of Parihakais was invaded by 1600 armed constabulary. Some 2000 men, women and children were expelled from the settlement to jails nationwide, crops were burned and homes destroyed. Te Whiti and many of his supporters were arrested and held without trial for long periods, some up to 18 years. Many were driven off their lands and out of the area, never to return. Premier John Hall's attempts to defend the governments actions provoked a constitutional crisis—the Governor of New Zealand was out of the country when Cabinet approved the invasion. Instead the Chief Justice James Prendergast (well known for his views on Maori from his decision in the case Wi Parata v Bishop of Wellington) acting as the Administrator of the Government allowed the invasion to proceed. In all, the government illegally confiscated or alienated 7,770 km² (1.92 million acres) of Māori land in Taranaki and some reparations were made to the tribes in the mid-20th century and continue to be negotiated in the 21stcentury
[edit] Redress
Several Taranaki tribes were affected by the Parihaka incident. Between 2001 and 2006, the New Zealand government provided redress and a formal apology to four of those tribes, Ngati Ruanui, Ngati Tama, Ngaa Rauru Kiitahi and Ngati Mutunga, for a range of historical issues including Parihaka. Tens of millions of New Zealand dollars were provided as redress to the tribes in recognition of their losses at Parihaka and the confiscations. Most of the confiscated land is now privately owned, and worth considerably more.
Although there were more violent incidents during the New Zealand land wars, the memory of Parihaka is still invoked as a symbol of colonial aggression against the Māori People, having a similar resonance in New Zealand to the Wounded Knee Massacre in the United States.
In 1989 musicians Tim Finn and Herbs released the song Parihaka about the incident.
[edit] Publications
- Michael King, The Penguin History of New Zealand Pp 219–20, 222, 247–8, & 386. 2003
[edit] External links
- Parihaka dot com official site
- Parihaka International peace Festival Gallery
- Legacy of Parihaka
- New Zealand in History: Parihaka
- Summary of the Ngati Mutunga Treaty settlement (pdf, 4 pages)
- Parihaka and the Gift of Non Violent Resistance
- Waitangi Tribunal Report into Taranaki Claims
