THE SACKING OF PARIHAKA TOROANUI MARAE 100 YEARS AGO

Tu Tangata, Issue 4, 1 February 1982, Page 15

THE SACKING OF PARIHAKA TOROANUI MARAE 100 YEARS AGO

On the 6th of November, 1981 Yvonne Dasler took me to PARIHAKA for their 100 Anniversary Not their One hundred and one My heart beat so much faster As we neared our destiny For me, a mixture of sorrow And treasured memories I looked with anticipation To see if I could find That elusive Taranaki Mountain That often hides behind The wind blew sharp The rain poured down As we drove in

To PARIHAKA town TE WHITI O RONGOMAI I greeted Te Raukura, I acknowledged too With Te Niho beckoning me closer Kui Te Rauwha’s Paepae in view Te Rongo O Raukawa Is a lonely building I hardly knew Yet, it always captures my attention Because of its isolated view TOHU KAKA I greeted also Te Rangi Kapui A Te Ao The 2 storied building Has withstood the test Of time, somehow I turned, and I greeted Kote Mahi Kuare too Do you know when we were children We called it the Morgue It is rude, but true I looked and looked for elders But they had left me behind With their new generation Who have not their Resource of kind Present were many people Who stood out like steeples Male and female combined In speech, song or rhyme I listened with rapt attention To the male exponents’ oratories And came to the conclusion They were Geneologists & Historians

These photographs of the Parihaka Centenary were taken by Fiona Clark. Fiona has recently published a colourful sea-food calendar of Taranaki featuring her photographs. The calendar contains tide times for the Taranaki coast as well as sea-food recipes. The calendar’s a fine example of sensitive photography and was inspired by Parihaka. It retails for $7.50 and is available from Fiona Clark, No 43 RD, Tikorangi, Waitara, Taranaki.

Mohi Wharepouri was an honoured guest Some KUIA to name a few Ngahina, Marjorie, Sally Wharehoka Tangi, Moetautara and Sally Karena Were the ones that I viewed It was not the Religious Orders That captured and commanded attention But the N Z Police Delegation Who reluctantly joined our convention When Basil Johnson N Z Police Humbly presented their view For they came not to conquer But to start a friendship, Afresh and anew His fluent speech in MAORI Softened the pain in our story For when I espied many faces It accounted for the blending

Of many races The Upper Terrace and Lower Terrain Have come 100 years apart Although it was a gentlemens’ agreement It still used to wrench my heart I was allowed to go up or down Very few of us had that privilege For if I came from many fruit I also, came from a village But now at last some wisemen have decreed That we UNITE and go forth Into the future history With FAITH, HOPE and CHARITY Embracing all with HARMONY