March 17, 2017
Maniapoto commemorates with Taranaki seige at Te Kohia Pa
On this day in 1860 British troops bombarded Te Kohia pa near Waitara, which had been built by Te Atiawa warriors led by Wiremu Kingi Te Rangitaake over the preceding days to resist just such an attack.
That incident and other battles are being remembered this weekend not just by Te Atiawa but by other iwi whose ancestors stood with Taranaki.
Kaawhia Te Muraahi from the Battle of Orakau Heritage Society says it’s about keeping the stories and the alliances alive.
"Too much of our history has already been forgotten and we want to revive this as a legacy for generations that follow,and in doing that they will understand the importance of these alliances forged in the turbulent times of our earlier colonial period," he says.
Mr Te Muraahi says the work done by Te Atiawa and Taranaki in remembering their past helped shape the wider movement that led to a national day of commemoration for the land wars on October 28.
FULL INTERVIEW WITH KAAWHIA TE MURAAHI
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