While most New Zealanders have an appreciation of our Anzac legacy, many have no knowledge of the bloody conflicts that were fought right here in Aotearoa.
The Government has announced from 2022 our history will be taught in schools, including the New Zealand Wars, and on Monday the nation officially remembers Te Pūtake o Te Riri, with the commemorations being hosted in Taranaki.
The Prime Minister, Crown ministers and dignitaries along with local iwi and the Taranaki community will gather together at Owae Marae in Waitara, where the first shots of the Taranaki War were fired.
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The war raged on for another 21 years and saw the iwi of Taranaki have 1.2 million acres of their land confiscated by the Crown.
Other iwi around the country will also hold events to remember the wars fought in their regions.
To discuss the significance of this The Hui spoke to the master of ceremonies for the commemorations, former principal Damon Ritai; educationalist Dr Keri Milne Ihimaera; reo and tikanga exponent Ruth Smith; and law student Safari Hynes, who is lobbying for better representation of Māori historical figures.
Watch the video.
