Parihaka- how did it all begin?

The musket wars were a series of battles and skirmishes involving (mainly) muskets and involving (usually) one iwi fighting against another. Muskets are long barrelled muzzle- loaded guns which fire a small metal ball.

The introduction of muskets to Aotearoa caused a major shift in warfare and led to fighting between some of the different iwi. There was not one reason for the fighting- some of this fighting was for land, some because of resources (good growing land for kumara or potatoes) and some because of old grievances and issues. 
  

Most of these battles took place between 1818 and 1840. 

In 1821, the Ngati Toa chief Te Rauparaha moved from Kawhia in Waikato into the Taranaki area.  In 1826, Waikato iwi invaded Northern Taranaki (and also attacked Ngati Toa)  forcing some iwi and hapu to move further south. In 1831 and 1832 Waikato attacked once again. There were further attacks in 1834.

During this time, many settlers from overseas came to the region as well looking for land to purchase so that they could start farming. 

In 1860, the British attacked the settlement at Warea, south of New Plymouth. Over 500 troops attacked the village and burned it to the ground. This was because the people of the village were resistant to any more land being sold and also supported the Kingitanga movement.They were also upset as a block of land measuring over 600 acres (similar to hectares) called the Waitara block was ‘sold’ by a man who didn’t own it. His name was Teira and he received 200 pounds (similar to dollars) for the land. The sale price was for exactly the same sum of money that Teira owed to Robert Reid Parris (The Land Purchase Commissioner) and another New Plymouth businessman who had originally lent him the money.

Te Ati Awa chief Te Rangitake had turned the Government surveyors off the land arguing that this was not Teira’s land to sell and the land still belonged to Te Ati Awa.  

This sparked what has been called The New Zealand Wars, the Land Wars or more sadly- the Maori Wars, and was to last about 10 years. There was fighting across many areas of Aotearoa (but not all iwi or all regions). 

By 1863 all of the Taranaki area, except for some isolated, inland places was proclaimed a ‘confiscation area.’ In other words, the Government had confiscated the land because Maori had fought back as they didn’t want to sell the land in the first place or it was wrongly taken from them.

Altogether, 3 million acres was confiscated in Taranaki, Waikato and the Bay of Plenty.

1867, was the first year in four years that no battles were fought. Te Whiti, Tohu and others decided that the wars must end, but Maori should not be forced to surrender any more land.  He could see the people were tired of the fighting and wanted to live in peace. Parihaka would be the place where the survivors, the widows and fatherless children could come to live in peace. Te Whiti and Tohu would help to rebuild the people and make a stronger nation. The people were tired of war and needed a sanctuary - it would be Parihaka.