Whakatāne, 17 October 2017
Two-day symposium provides Māori perspective on conflict
A two-day symposium on Māori perspectives of conflict aims to deepen understanding of the wars between Māori and
colonial troops, and how they have affected lives today.
Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi and Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa, with the support of Te Puni Kōkiri, have organised the first
Te Pūtake o te Riri symposium in Whakatāne this week to foster critical awareness of historical wars between various iwi
and the Crown. The New Zealand Wars began in 1843 near Blenheim with the Wairau massacre. Other major incidents included
Whanganui, Waikato, Taranaki, the Bay of Plenty and the East Coast, and the Te Kooti campaign in 1872.
Professor Te Kani Kingi, Executive Director of Research and Innovation at Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi, said the
inaugural symposium is an opportunity to involve the community in academic debate and provide a contemporary Māori
perspective on historical conflict. It will bring together a range of speakers with academic interest and expertise in
the New Zealand Wars to present an historical overview and discuss the impacts of conflict on particular iwi.
“Regional experiences of war and conflict differed, but there is a connected history that has shaped how we have evolved
as a nation,” Professor Kingi said.
“War and conflict between Māori and the Crown have had a lasting impact on the lives of New Zealanders. The aim is to
gain a comprehensive understanding of these impacts, to learn from history and to encourage informed conversations about
our shared past.”
Sir Wira Gardiner will open Wednesday’s programme with a discussion about war and conflict, and Harawira Pearless will
talk about the 28th Māori Battalion. Other speakers over the two days include Che Wilson on the Whanganui experience,
Buddy Mikaere on Pukehinahina (Gate Pā), Haare Williams on Te Kooti, Dr Vincent O’Malley on the Waikato Wars, Kelvin Day
on the Taranaki Wars, and Judge Layne Harvey on the Ngāti Awa experience. Dr Joanna Kidman will present an overview of
the national initiative that has resulted in events being held across Aotearoa to mark the New Zealand Wars, with
October 28 the official day of commemoration.
Professor Kingi said the symposium at the Awanuiārangi campus on Wednesday and Thursday (October 18 and 19) is free, and
limited places are still available. Registrations can be made with erica.herangi@wananga.ac.nz
ends