It's time to learn about Parihaka

 While many of us will know that this Saturday, 5 November, is Guy Fawkes night, a time to commemorate an English Catholic who attempted to blow-up the houses of parliament in London, it’s also an important date in our country’s history as it marks 141 years since the Government invasion of the peaceful settlement of Parihaka.

On this date in 1881, roughly 1600-armed constabulary invaded the western Taranaki settlement of Parihaka, which had come to symbolise a peaceful response to the confiscation of Māori land. There was no resistance. Instead of being met with violence, the soldiers were greeted by singing children and women offering them fresh loaves of bread.

Their village was destroyed with homes set alight, livestock slaughtered, and crops destroyed, while the community sat peacefully on the marae.

Following the invasion of Parihaka, their pacifist leaders, Tohu Kākahi and Te Whiti o Rongomai were arrested and imprisoned without trial for 16 months. 1,600 of Parihaka’s people were forced out of the settlement with many of the men sent to the South Island for forced labour; many were never to return to their whānau.

People weren’t to know that years later when they were praising the acts of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, that those men were inspired by the actions of Tohu Kākahi and Te Whiti o Rongomai at Parihaka on that day.

Our organisation is striving to become more culturally capable so we can better partner with iwi and ensure better outcomes for whānau Māori affected by fire and adverse events. No matter your role - your mahi has an impact on the communities we serve, so we encourage you to check out the resources below and spend some time learning more about what happened at Parihaka.

Media	Detail	Link
(external link)	Podcast- 53m.16s Aureretanga Parihaka Te Ahi Kaa Podcast - Radio New Zealand	Access rauemi here(external link)(external link)
(external link)(external link)	Video - 2m.31s Tātarakihi - The Children of Parihaka NZ on Screen	Access rauemi here(external link)(external link)
(external link)	Video - 6m.17s The invasion of Parihaka and why it needs to be remembered Kaupapa on the Couch - The Spinoff	Access rauemi here(external link)(external link)
	Website - 391 words Invasion of pacifist settlement at Parihaka Ngā kōrero a ipurangi o Aotearoa | NZ History	Access rauemi here(external link)(external link)
	Website - 781 words Remembering Parihaka Te Puna | National Library	Access rauemi here(external link)