A woman on the peace walk from New Plymouth to Parihaka says it’s in the spirit of passive resistance developed at the Taranaki settlement by Te Whiti and Tohu.
Colleen Tuuta says while New Plymouth mayor Andrew Judd was the catalyst for the hikoi, the battle for Maori voices to be heard is much bigger than him.
She says war hasn’t worked for Maori, legislation is not working, and it’s time for a new conversation.
She says what happened when colonial forces arrived at Parihaka almost 135 years ago was different to any other place.
"When the militia was sitting on Parihaka waiting for their instructions, our people were baking bread and getting ready and then took bread out to the soldiers. What does that say? They sent their children out, their uri for the future. How confident were they of their future? Pretty confident I’d say," Ms Tuuta says.
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