Susan Devoy: Learn about where you live

Battle of Gate Pa ceremonies. The Maori King Tuheitia Paki is welcomed on to Gate Pa. Photo/File

A few months ago our late regional councillor and iwi leader, Awanuiarangi Black told this newspaper that the majority of us know more about Napoleon than we do about our own history.

This year marks 152 years since the beginning of a battle that would define the Bay of Plenty for generations, and yet I suspect that Awanuiarangi was right, many of us learned more about the Battle of Waterloo when we were at school than the Battle of Gate Pa or Pukehinahina.

One took place right here where we live. The other was fought more than two centuries ago, thousands of miles away by people who have never even seen our wonderful region.

A few years ago some teenagers from Otorohanga were on a school history trip and were told it was the site of a battle during the New Zealand Wars.

When the teens started asking about what went on they were shocked to find out that civilians were killed by Crown soldiers.

They were horrified to hear that women and children who sought shelter in a local church were locked inside and the church burnt to the ground.

Their lives were changed forever after knowing the history of a piece of land just outside their town that they'd driven past hundreds of times in their young lives.

Rhiannon Magee, Tai Jones and Leah Bell were so moved they launched a petition for us to begin commemorating the lives of all who suffered during the NZ Wars and last year the Government agreed with the teenagers.

The teens gathered thousands of New Zealanders' signatures because they argued that all of us deserve to know the history of the place that we call home.

Young New Zealanders deserve to know their region's history. The good, and the bad: trying to hide the past and making out that it was always wonderful or always terrible is neither true nor fair.

Know your history - Kimihia ō kōrero tuku iho - is the Human Rights Commission's theme for this year's Waitangi Day and it's an important one.

We are encouraging people to find out about the place they live in and in particular to encourage their children to grow up knowing about the place they call home.

Luckily we have locals like the late Awanuiarangi whose wise words should be acted upon.

2017 is not very old but already we do not need to look far overseas to see what happens when people from different backgrounds and ethnicities do not get on with one another.

We are not perfect in New Zealand but when it comes to living alongside each other in peace we are doing better than many other places.

We live in one of the most peaceful nations on earth as well as one of the most ethnically diverse. Whether it remains that way depends on us.