October 19, 2017
Resilience a lesson from NZ Wars
The organiser of a symposium on Maori and conflict says one of the lessons of the New Zealand Wars of the 1800s was how resilient the Maori people proved to be.
Te Putake o te Riri at Te Whare Wananga o Awanuiarangi in Whakatane, which wraps up today, brings together a range of scholars and iwi leaders to talk about the impact of the wars on particular iwi.
Te Kani Kingi says if the wars are to get more attention in schools, it is vital the Maori perspective is shared – and that perspective varies according to the shape of the conflict in each area.
There were effects felt by Maori across the board, with disease, land loss and discrimination taking their toll through the generations.
"If you read the historical transcripts from the 1800s, our people were going from tangi to tangi to tangi. They had their land taken from them by force and in spite of that by 1900 the population started to recover. It's important we do reflect upon the past not only to highlight the injustice but also to highlight the fact that as a people we are incredibly resilient," Professor Kingi says.
The presentations will form the basis for a book, and there will be other resources created for schools from Te Putake o te Riri and future symposiums.
Copyright © 2017, UMA Broadcasting Ltd: www.waateanews.com