April 30, 2024
The battle of Ō-Rākau, Aotearoa New Zealand’s Gettysburg; Rahui Papa
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the uri of those who fought there is a step closer with the passing of the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill in Parliament on Tuesday.
The Bill returns the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west of Kihikihi, in ngā tūpuna o Ō-Rākau, to the ancestors of Ō-Rākau.
This unique arrangement acknowledges all those who were present during the battle or had traditional connections to the land. It gives effect to a deed signed between the Crown and iwi representatives from Maniapoto, Raukawa and Waikato-Tainui in October 2023.
Tainui-Waikato Rangatira and kaikōrero, Rahui Papa, says a kōmiti whakahaere will oversee the site of significance.
“Tūhoe, Tuwharetoa, Kahungunu, Ngāti Whare, Ngāti Manawa, Te Arawa, all those people that were present 160 years ago and whose tūpuna still lie at Ō-Rakau, we will work hard to make sure that it’s the Gettysberg of Aotearoa, where everyone goes to remember that history.” says Papa.
The Bill now goes to the Māori Affairs Select Committee for public submissions before returning to the House to pass into legislation later in the year.
Ō-Rākau was the site of the last major battle in the Crown’s 1863-64 invasion of Waikato. Between 31 March and 2 April 1864. Around 300 Māori, many of them women and children, defended themselves against an attack by 1,400 British troops. According to reports, around half the defenders were killed during the fighting and their subsequent retreat.
The Battle of Gettysburg marked the turning point of the American Civil War in 1863, with more than 50,000 estimated casualties. The war was over the issue of black slavery and a call by Southern States’ for independence. The then-President, Abraham Lincoln advocated for the abolition of slavery which was supported by the northern states.