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The Anglican Church of Aotearoa is preparing to officially admit its role in the Crown’s confiscation of land from Tauranga Maori following the Battle of Pukehinahina (Gate Pa).
The Anglican Bishop of Waiapu, the Right Reverend Andrew Hedge, said the church was complicit in handing over land given in trust by Maori.
He was speaking at a commemorative service held in St George’s Church which sat on the scene of the battle fought on April 29, 1864.
The service began with a bell being tolled 60 times to commemorate the 60 Maori and Pakeha who lost their lives in the battle.
Hedge said the history would be revisited at the church’s General Synod beginning this week.
The Synod would be asked to formally recognise how its predecessors were complicit in yielding land that had been held in trust and which now could not be recovered.
Hedge said the Synod was being asked that the church stands alongside the hapu in their endeavours for reconciliation.
Speaking prior to the service, local historian Buddy Mikaere said:
“On Sunday we will be remembering that battle but, more importantly, it’s remembering it’s that battle that’s the birth of the city (Tauranga) as we know it.
After that battle, we had another battle at Te Ranga (Pyes Pa) and, after that, the Maori who fought at Te Ranga and Pukehinahina had their land confiscated.
“It’s on that confiscated land that Tauranga is now built.
So we commemorate it because of that and what it meant to Maori people. It was the start of a real hard time for them.”
Mikaere said Maori acts of kindness during those battles also deserved recognition.
“Of all the battles in New Zealand, Pukehinahina is up there because of the acts of chivalry and the way the Maori side behaved.
“People remember the humanity … Maori crept around at night to give wounded soldiers water.”
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