Te Whiti and the Events of Parihaka

Te Whiti-o-Rongomai was born on November 1830 during the Musket Wars, not long after the second siege of Pukerangiora. He was a son of a chief. As a child he attended Reimenschneider Mission School where he learnt to be excellent with bible studies. After leaving his Mission School he set up a flour mill in Warea. Two years later he was verified as a possible teacher or prophet. 

By 1980 Parihaka had become with biggest village in the country. In 1979 the Europeans invaded the land. At first Te Whiti lived peacefully until the Europeans started wanting to take the Maori land. 

Te Whiti and Tohu Kakahi were the leaders of the Maori's and they both were very spiritual. They just wanted peace and freedom. They protested peacefully and refused to take up arms which is very amazing and inspirational in my opinion. 

The Maori's weren’t gaining anything at this time so the decided to hold a meeting with two of the government officials. One hour later he was thrown into jail the land of the Parihaka was immediately destroyed.

  

Just before Te Whiti was released his wife passed away.  In my opinion it was wrong that he was not allowed to attend his wife’s funeral.This sounds to me very dark and depressing. Te Whiti died on the 18th of November 1907 at the age of 77. Many people say that the death was peaceful. He died after the Maori's won the whole battle over the Europeans who were attempting to take over all the Moari’s land. 

Te Whiti was an amazing man, when the whole of New Zealand was at war he still stuck to what he believed in, which was peace by refusing to take up arms. He played mind games on the guards at the prison he was held in and people say that he was the first Maori to ever use a phone in the Christchurch rail way. His history still lives and he will never ever be forgotten. He truly was an amazing man.

By Louis Sutherland