You wouldn't normally see those two words together in a headline, because Pasifika people were not part of the historical events that took place in Parihaka's story.
Sitting in the wharenui, in Parauka Marae, I can't help but wonder how Te Whiti and Tohu would feel about having Pasifika people in their space, because they were such staunch proponents of Maori tikanga, and the prophets wouldn't have known any Pasifika people in their lifetime.
Even looking up at their pictures in the wharenui, I see their eyes looking at me, asking me to think about my own people. What legacy will Pasifika people leave in Aotearoa?
I can feel the mana and the wairua of the place. In my mind's eye as Wharehoka Wano took us through the whenua and showed us the landmarks of his home, I saw children playing games, young warriors with their feathers in their hair, women gathering food and singing waiata. I can also hear marching, a cannon being dragged and pushed to the top of a hill.
I studied New Zealand History in 7th form History at high school. I remember one trip we took was to Meremere, to visit pa sites, and even a colonial museum, to see what settler life was like in early New Zealand.
Nothing would prepare me for the spirit of Parihaka. It reminds me of Samoa, of my own villages where family live in a communal space, make decisions together—and even have the same divisions when conflict, both external and internal, become apparent.
Today we are leaving Parihaka. I wanted to retrace the steps that Wharehoka took us through yesterday, so I woke up early to revisit where he lead us. I stood again at Te Whiti's memorial, and I could hear chanting in the distance, morning karakia in whispered tones carried up to me on the wind. In an instant, the wind started howling, but I felt enveloped in warmth. Suddenly, I remembered what Wharehoka had mentioned yesterday, he talked about tororanui—like the wingspan of an albatross, the people of Parihaka, of many iwi from the North were enveloped by the warmth of Te Whiti and Tohu.
Pasifika in Parihaka, we now understand why there are so many beautiful waiata and stories about this place, being here is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Photos (from the top):
(1) Tohu's house
(2) Parauka Marae—where we stayed
(3) Teanau Tuiono and Anthony Faitaua with Mt. Taranaki in the background
(4) Te Whiti's memorial
(5) Te Whiti's gravestone
Aiono Manu Faaea-Semeatu
Latest posts by Aiono Manu Faaea-Semeatu (see all)
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Tēnā koe e Manu, e te kaitārai o te kupu, mōu i tuku i ō whakaaro mō te noho i Parihaka i te tirohanga o te ure nō te Moananui-a-Kiwa. I could feel the presence of the Parihaka wairua in your words, something that only comes from the privilege of being there. Loving the links out and the pictures too. So few words with so much to say. Fa'afetai.
Faafetai lava Nichole. I had the privilege of returning to Parihaka this year in March. The only other place I have felt at peace like that is back home in Samoa. It was truly a moving experience for me.
Tēnā koe e Manu. What a beautiful reflection of your experience in a beautiful place. Thanks so much for sharing your inspiring and moving story. Ngā mihi aroha ki a koe e hoa.
Fa'afetai, Manu. I admire you so much for sharing this and staying staunch for your tane. Ka mihi a Te Arawa ki a Hamoa xxx
[…] my very first blog post for the CORE Pasifika Blog, I talked about being “Pasifika in Parihaka” and how Parihaka was an awe-inspiring place to be in, considering Pasifika peoples were not […]
[…] have written about Pasifika connections with Māori in two previous blog posts — Pasifika in Parihaka and Pasifika’s position in honouring the bi-cultural Te Tiriti partnership. I see this blog […]
Kia Ora Manu,
This post was interesting to me as our school are looking to embark on a journey of learning about Parihaka and we have recently seen the Children of Parihaka film. I like that you have been able to make connections to your own life in Samoa and also have a real sense of what happened there. This is where I think place-based learning, tangata whenuatanga, is important and has a place in schools.
Following what you have thought about and experienced here I believe it could be beneficial for our year 7 and 8 students to be able to go on part of the same journey the men of Parihaka went on by visiting some of the important areas here in Christchurch. This could include a trip to the Historic Addington Jail or over to Ripapa Island.
Thank you for sharing your blog posts.
Ngā mihi nui
I love Taranaki. The maunga itself has a special place in my heart. It stands tall like Mt Vaea in my island of Savaii in Samoa.
I believe there are many similarities with Parihaka and Pasifika peoples in Aotearoa – whanau/aiga; iwi/nuu; but moreso the struggles. Parihaka fighting to keep their land, when Pasifika peoples arrived in NZ, some groups were fighting to stay here through the dark days of the Dawn Raids. Overcoming these challenges has established great connections and familiarity with both Iwi and Pasifika peoples. We feel the same wairua and mana as our fellow cousins here in Aotearoa
*My bad. I meant Mt Silisili in Savaii