On 17th March 1860, the Taranaki wars started in Waitara. Some 500 colonial troops began bombarding Te Kohia Pa on the Pekapeka block in Waitara. This led to to two decades of confrontation in all of Taranaki between iwi and the Crown. While the invasion, plunder and occupation of Parihaka in November 1881 marks the end of confrontations between soldiers and tangata whenua, the wars in Taranaki never really came to an end. “If war is the absence of peace” writes the Waitangi Tribunal, “the war has never ended in Taranaki, because that essential prerequisite for peace among peoples, that each should be able to live with dignity on their own lands, is still absent and the protest over land rights continues to be made.”
This year's commemorations are significant in several ways. Firstly, a much anticipated exhibition at New Plymouth's museum Puke Ariki is opening with the promising title “Te ahi kaa roa, Te ahi kaatoro – Taranaki War 1860 – 2010”. The exhibition runs until August. Secondly, two iwi in Taranaki are signing Terms of Negotiations with the Crown for their historical Treaty claims. Both Te Ati Awa iwi and Taranaki iwi have recently given a mandate to two organisations - Te Ati Awa Iwi Authority and Taranaki Iwi Trust – to pursue negotiations with the Crown. Waitangi Tribunal hearings across Taranaki took place between 1990 and 1995 and several iwi have already settled with the Crown.
Ministers of the Crown, including Minister of Treaty Settlements Chris Findlayson, Minister of Maori Affairs Pita Sharples and also the Prime Minister John Key, are expected to turn up for the two signings. The first one for Te Ati Awa is scheduled for 12pm at Owae Marae (Manukorihi Pa) at Waitara and the second for Taranaki Iwi at 3pm at Puniho Pa (south of Okato).
