Parihaka 1881

Tu Tangata, Issue 4, 1 February 1982, Page 16

Parihaka 1881

Parihaka is a place where I, and hundreds of other people went to remember not only the arrest of Te Whiti and Tohu, but everything else that happened. It was an experience that can’t really be put down on paper because it was all totally new to me. I couldn’t understand Maori language but I knew that I wasn’t the only one.

I was surprised at the number of people that were there (both Pakeha and Maori) because, until earlier in the year when Miss Howell (our Drama Teacher) and Mrs McKorkindale (our Maori Teacher) decided to do the play of Parihaka, I’d never heard about this little place south-west of New Plymouth.

I have learnt a lot about the Maori culture through being in the play and on the marae. I feel sorry for anyone who couldn’t be there because it was an unforgettable experience. And I’m glad that the awkward feeling of being a Pakeha at a Maori gathering didn’t last.

Gillian Rogers

A sharp intake of breath and that typical empty feeling deep inside your stomach as you round the hill to find the cars buses and vans full of people waiting to enter the marae at the gate. Wiping your sleepy eyes you descend the bus steps to enter the atmosphere of the cold nippy dawn.

Around you stand hundreds of Maori people, all from maraes around N.Z. Slowly as you walk up the driveway, several people who obviously have not seen each other for years, greet with tear filled eyes.

Passing Rolleston Hill where one hundred years ago stood the cannon whose trigger never fired, you gasp as you see the people of Parihaka, a few of whom you recognised from your visit earlier in the year, welcoming you with their greenery waving as they chant and sing.

It is slightly drizzling as we begin singing and chanting our return. We began the hongi and during the awe inspiring protocol two women wail bringing this emotional visit to a beginning.

Stephen Aitken

The entire events of the trip to Parihaka were to me an outstanding experience and I can honestly say that it was a real pleasure to have participated in that unique centennial.

On the marae the sense of one big family, of brothers and sisters, pakeha and maori alike, was truly amazing and the spirit of goodwill and peace found, was a real example of Te Whiti’s symbolic feathers.

The centennial not only provided me with an unforgettable, memorable sensation, but also gave me the chance to pick up some of the maori language and accents first hand and get used to great chunks of potato and carrot in a thick morning stew.

Glenn Anderson

Upper Hutt College pupils contributed to the spirit of Parihaka by performing a play based on Parihaka’s peaceful protest. ‘Parihaka 1881’ was originally performed at the College earlier in the year and was directed by teachers Kiri McCorkindale and Jean Howell. The following articles are the pupil’s impressions of the Parihaka Centenary.

The spirit of Parihaka has brought the cast of Maoris and Pakehas together into a bond which I can see will not be broken easily.

Now I do not see myself as an enemy to the Maori, nor the Maori as an enemy of mine but simply as an unknown friend who like me is a New Zealander.

Through the love of the Te Ati Awa Tribe and hard work of our two directors, Aunty Jean and Nan, we are now one people who have a home in Taranaki, Parihaka.

During the weekend stay at Parihaka, the doors were opened before us. Inside these doors we saw many hundreds of Maoris reveal their love for their broken tribe and even for the pakeha, whose ancestors had been the cause for Parihaka’s downfall. Certainly there was no ill-feeling, instead there was a sense of closeness between the two races that even the bad weather could not separate them apart.

It has been an unbelieveable experience performing the play “Parihaka 1881” and to have had a tiny grasp of the Maori spirit at the Parihaka Marae. Before becoming a cast member of the play, I had very little love and respect for the Maori people but now this is reversed thanks to Aunty Jean and Nan who had the determination to direct the play despite the differences that existed within the cast. As a result the play has introduced us into the Maori world which is a great privilege to be in. And to the Aunties we met at the marae, thanks again for your love and encouragement to the cast and the play. It has been an unforgettable experience being with your people and Parihaka. Murtle

I think the most important thing in the whole weekend was performing the play at the place where it actually happened 100 years ago. You could almost see Te Whiti and Tohu standing talking to the people and standing up on top of Mount Rolleston. It wasn’t difficult to imagine the cannon being brought into position and the people sitting on the marae below. Coming as a Pakeha to a marae for the very first time, I felt very out of place for the first half of the weekend. My ancestors had been at Parkihaka, but on the other side. The side of the Pakeha. So I had even more reason to feel out of place. Yet I came away with a feeling of belonging. It was an unforgettable experience. Linda O’Sullivan