Tamaki, who founded Destiny Church with his wife Hannah in 1998, visited Parihaka Pa on Saturday as part of his Tu Tangata Riders Tour of Duty Taranaki hosted by Man Up New Zealand. Read more

Here is the full apology, which was delivered by the Attorney-General Chris Finlayson.

Mihi
Te maunga tupuna, Taranaki
Tu mai, tu mai ra
Nga uri whakaheke
Koutou nga kaikawe o nga tohutohu
a Tohu Kakahi, a Te Whiti o Rongomai
Karanga mai, mihi mai, whakatau mai.
He ra tino nui tenei mo te Karauna
He ra tino nui tenei mo te Motu
Tena koutou, tena koutou, tena tatou katoa.

Introduction

We are at Parihaka today to participate in this historic ceremony which marks the reconciliation between Parihaka and the Crown.

This is a day when we need to look back at the history of the Crown's actions at Parihaka and acknowledge the suffering those actions have caused for generations of people at Parihaka.

This is an important part of reconciliation. But it is also a day when we look forward to a future where the vision of Parihaka is finally achieved.

For the vision of Tohu Kakahi and Te Whiti o Rongomai was not one of protest and resistance. Theirs was a vision of self-determination, cooperation and peace.

In the past the Crown felt threatened by that vision and sought to undermine it. Today the Crown comes to Parihaka to make a contribution to the fulfilment of that vision.

Parihaka has waited a long time for this day.

When I was here a year ago to sign the compact of trust I spoke about the sense of responsibility I feel as Attorney-General for this reconciliation.

The colonial government failed to uphold the rule of law at Parihaka and I am grateful for the opportunity, as the current Attorney-General, to be able to play a part in helping right that past wrong. Continue reading

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• E-Tangata

The hikoi will run from his mayoral office to Parihaka 45 km away.

It will take place on 17 June.

Judd, who has been at the centre of a storm of controversy over race issues, hopes the a peace walk will start a new conversation about inclusion, not conflict, in a bicultural nation.

Judd announced last week he would not be seeking re-election .

He said he had been spat on in the supermarket over a proposal to give non-elected iwi representatives speaking and voting rights on standing committees.

Other people had crossed the street when they saw him.

Mayors from throughout the country avoided him at function, Judd said.

"I'm used to having a cup of tea on my own," he said.

It went without saying he had avoided social media for some time now.

"What I'm asking people to bring is their message of what together means, because together you acknowledge your past and together you heal your future."

On TVNZ's Seven Sharp presenter, Mike Hosking said Judd was "completely out of touch with middle New Zealand".

"Sad to say I'd never personally attack him obviously but he's completely out of touch with middle New Zealand"

"There's nothing wrong with Maori representation on councils cause any Maori that wants to stand for a council is more than welcome to do so and you can sell your message and if you're good enough you'll get voted on."

On John Campbell reported that their "Andrew Judd piece" had garnered the largest and most positive response to any news story since they've been on air (4 months or so).

It has been widely acknowledged Judd's stance on Maori rights and ward representation has significantly reduced his support in the community.

The matter arose in 2014, after the New Plymouth District Council voted against giving non-elected iwi representatives speaking and voting rights on standing committees.

The NPDC then narrowly voted to establish a Maori ward seat in September 2014, which resulted in the resignation of two councillors and caused a by-election within the first year of Judd's term.

In 2015 a citizens' initiated referendum quashed any chance of having a Maori seat, with a massive 83 per cent of the 25,338 returned votes against the proposal.

Parihaka was the centre for non-violent resistance to land confiscations. It was sacked by government forces in 1881.

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• radionz.co.nz
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• Stuff.co.nz
• Image: caritas.org.nz

Mrs Fox said it was inappropriate for New Zealanders to be celebrating Guy Fawkes.

"When I was a child they used to still make a guy from straw and hay bales, and set it on fire. That's effectively burning an effigy and in fact as a child I thought that was the scariest thing I'd ever seen in my life." Continue reading

The 26-page booklet was the brainchild of the Bishop of Palmerston North Diocese Charles Drennan, who wanted to ensure the Maori account of the injustices suffered by the people of Parihaka were acknowledged.

The resource contents were put together by Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand in collaboration with Parihaka community leader Dr Ruakere Hond, who helped with its production.

Hond said he hoped the Parihaka story would inspire people to look deeper into the history and development of their own towns or cities.

Parihaka - past or present or Parihaka o nehera, o naianei was officially launched at the Catholic Education Convention last month. Continue reading

"This is not a booklet just about Parihaka's history," said Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand Director Julianne Hickey, "but a justice and peace resource that enables us to reflect on the impact of injustice today, in communities across the country - and strive for peace in the future."

Parihaka - on the western slopes of Mount Taranaki in New Zealand - became a centre for non-violent resistance under the leadership of Te Whiti o Rongomai and Tohu Kakahi from 1865. It continues today to inspire discussion and a collective response to injustice.

Regular meetings to discuss the issues of the day - both local and national - have taken place on the 18^th and 19^th of each month at Parihaka since the 1870s. They were only interrupted during the village's occupation by government forces in the 1880s, following a destructive invasion to remove the community's leaders and most of its men.

Copies can be ordered from the Caritas office, or downloaded from the Caritas website www.caritas.org.nz

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• Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand
• Image: Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand
  

Parihaka is a community approximately 55 Kilometres southwest of New Plymouth. In the 1870s and 80s, under the leadership of Tohu and Te Whiti, they resisted the Crown's confiscation of their customary lands with non-violent protest, which included ploughing lands taken to pay for the land wars, replacing or changing their fences moved by the army and removing survey pegs.

In 1866 Te Whiti orders weapons to be put aside, never to be seen again. In 1879 Maori Ploughmen were sent to plow confiscated lands to reassert rights to the land. Te Whiti calls for no violence or fighting. Ploughmen are arrested but do not resist.

1881 - 5 November - Troops invade Parihaka. Tohu, Te Whiti and all Parihaka men are arrested for leaving Parihaka in response to a Govt proclamation. Houses and cultivations are destroyed and livestock slaughtered or confiscated.

Many were arrested for their actions and imprisoned for many years without trial. In the present day, the people of Parihaka continue to restore Tohu and Te Whiti's legacy and seek healing of historic injustices. They strive to keep alive ideals of community empowerment, self-sufficiency and peaceful action of their ancestors.

Source:

• Caritas
• Image: NZ History Online