A two-day symposium on Maori perspectives of conflict aims to deepen understanding of the wars between Maori and colonial troops, and how they have affected lives today.
Te Whare Wananga o Awanuiarangi and Te Runanga o Ngati Awa, with the support of Te Puni Kokiri, have organised the first Te Putake o te Riri symposium in Whakatane this week to foster critical awareness of historical wars between various iwi and the Crown.
The symposium will bring together a range of speakers with academic interest and expertise in the New Zealand Wars to present an historical overview and discuss the impacts of conflict on particular iwi.
The New Zealand Wars began in 1843 near Blenheim with the Wairau massacre. Other major incidents included Whanganui, Waikato, Taranaki, the Bay of Plenty and the East Coast, and the Te Kooti campaign in 1872.
Executive director of research and innovation at Te Whare Wananga o Awanuiarangi, Professor Te Kani Kingi, said the inaugural symposium was an opportunity to involve the community in academic debate and provide a contemporary Maori perspective on historical conflict.