Ka rewa te kara o te kotahitanga i te ata hāpara, hei tohu whakamahara ki te pakanga o Kororāreka 180 tau ki muri.
“I tutū te puehu i waenganui i te Māori me te Pākehā i aua rā, nā runga i ngā mahi māminga, ngā mahi taurekareka a te Pākehā ki a tātau,” te kī a te māngai ā-iwi, a Isaiah Apiata.
“I pupū te riri ki roto o ngā rangatira o Te Pēwhairangi, o Ngāpuhi, ko reira tohu atu ki a Hone Heke—haere ai koe ki te poro i te kara o Ingarangi kia whakaatu atu ki a rātau, ki te Kīngi, kei a wai te mana o tēnei whenua.”
Nō te ata tonu nei tatū ai ngā rahi o Ngāpuhi, o Te Pēwhairangi ki runga o Kororāreka hei whakamaumahara ki tēnei pakanga i heipū i te 11 o Māehe, 1845.
Nā Hone Heke me Te Ruki Kawiti te pakanga nei i kōkiri kia toitū ai i tō rātau mana whakahaere i te whenua. Ko tā rāua, he porotēhi ki a Kawana Kerei, kia whakamana i ngā mātāpono i ōātitia e te Karauna me ngā rangatira o te motu i roto i Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Kororāreka i te tau 1840
This was one of the first battles between Ngāpuhi and British troops, just five years after the Treaty of Waitangi was signed. This also marked the fourth and final time the British flag was cut down on Maiki Hill.
“I think since the Treaty was signed in 1840 there was a lot of change happening, a lot of disgruntlement, and perhaps promises that may not have been met [and] it resulted in a battle,” says CDR Julie Simpkins, Base Commander of the Devonport Naval Base.
“When there’s agreements made and treaties made, it’s really important that they’re honored. But there certainly needs to be understanding of what those promises are on both sides.”
Heke and Kawiti captured the British defenses in the attack. An explosion at Polack’s Stockade forced the British to retreat, and Māori soldiers plundered the town. The battle caused 12 to 20 casualties on each side, and the fall of Kororāreka led to a loss of £50,000 (about $7 million today) for settlers.
Kua ea ngā oati a rātau mā?
Engari kua mārama rānei ngā uri whakaheke ki ngā oati, ki ngā wawata a rātau mā i haina ai i Te Tiriti o Waitangi?
Hei tā Apiata, kāre tonu ētahi i te mārama ki te tikanga wērā kawenata i hainatia tōna 185 tau ki muri.
“Ko te kore whakaū ki ngā kupu kua tāmokohia ki te Tiriti o Waitangi me [He] Whakaputanga. Ērā kawenata e rua e tohu ana me pēhea a Pākehā [e] noho [ai] ki runga i tō mātau whenua Māori.”
“Me ako i ngā hītori o tō ake rohe. [Tēnei] mea te kōrero tuku iho, he mea hei konei ki te awhina i a tātau whakaaro, [te] whakamārama me te mōhio ki ngā āhuatanga i pēhi i a tātau.”
