Land wars public holiday idea garners support
The idea to introduce a new public holiday to mark the New Zealand Land Wars is being backed in Taranaki, a region heavily shaped by its own civil conflicts.
Yesterday, Race Relations Commissioner Meng Foon urged Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to introduce a public holiday to commemorate the nation’s land wars, which took place across the country from the mid-to-late 1800s.
It came in response to Ardern’s announcement earlier in the week that new public holidays were among a suite of ideas being looked at to stimulate domestic tourism and spending in the wake coronavirus crisis.
‘‘Understanding the history creates a better-informed citizenry,’’ Foon said
Dr Ruakere Hond spearheaded the organisation of Te Pu¯ take o Te Riri, He Ra¯ Maumahara at Waitara’s Owae Marae last October.
Te Pu¯ take o Te Riri is an annual event, beginning on October 28, which marks the land war history and iwi groups share hosting of it.
The event in Waitara attracted thousands, including Ardern, government ministers and iwi leaders from around the country.
Hond said the date of October 28 was a ‘‘good fit’’ for a public holiday but it was important the views of Te Tai Tokerau (iwi in Northland) of the were taken into account, as it had a longstanding tradition of commemorating that day already, as it marked the signing of He Whakaputanga o te Rangatiratanga or the Declaration of Independence.
‘‘The wars were a symptom of a failure of the Crown to recognise there was Ma¯ ori authority in place,’’ he said.
Hond said he was not comfortable for any public holiday to solely focus on the wars, as while there were conflicts across the country, there were also a range of responses to them, including the peaceful resistance at Parihaka, which was invaded by armed troops on November 5, 1881.
He hoped the public holiday would focus on resolution and reconciliation and expected there would be widespread discussion and input before any decision on the subject might be made.
Hoani Eriwata organises an annual event in March to mark the north Taranaki land conflicts, which begins at Te Kohia Pa¯ site, on Devon Rd, in Brixton.
The first shots fired in the Taranaki land wars, which begun in
1860, took place at Te Kohia.
The pa¯ site has been in New Plymouth District Council (NPDC) ownership since 2016, after it bought the land for $715,000.
The redevelopment of the pa¯ is due to be discussed as part of NPDC’s next Long Term Plan in
2021. One of the options for the site included building a visitor information and education hub.
Eriwata backed the idea of having a public holiday. However, he said more discussion was needed about the most appropriate date . ‘‘I support it, it’s just the when.’’ Daisy Noble, from south Taranaki iwi Nga¯ruahine, said Ma¯ori leaders had championed the idea of having a public holiday to mark the land wars for many years but it never eventuated.
While Noble said a national day should already be in place to commemorate such a significant time in Aotearoa’s history, ‘‘any way that we get it back on the table can only be a plus.’’