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Source: ONE News -
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The 150th anniversary of the start of the Taranaki land wars has been marked by the signing of terms of negotiation for a Treaty of Waitangi settlement.
The first Taranaki land war was one of the country's major colonial conflicts during the 19th century.
The catalyst for the war was the disputed sale of around 200 hectares of land around Waitara called the Pekapeka block.
Troops occupied the land on March 5, 1860 and 10 days later disgruntled chief Wiremu Kingi and his supporters built a pa at Te Kohia and when they refused to leave government troops opened fire.
During the war British forces lost 238 men from an estimated force of 3,500 and Maori lost around 200 warriors from an army of at most, 1,500.
The first Taranaki war lasted for a year and one day and a ceasefire was signed on March 18, 1861 with neither side admitting defeat or responsibility for the battle.
With Wednesday's ceremony academics say decades of dispute have been laid to rest.
Treaty Negotiations Minister Chris Finlayson signed the terms with Te Atiawa and Taranaki Iwi Trust in separate ceremonies attended by Prime Minister John Key and Maori Affairs Minister Pita Sharples.
"We are negotiating redress for what the Waitangi tribunal calls unlawful invasion of this region and large-scale confiscation of Te Atiawa lands," says Key.
The government's intention is clear - to move towards reconciliation between Crown and Te Atiawa Iwi.
"To go forward and embrace the brighter future in front of us," says Key.
Wednesday's ceremony at Owae Marae formally begins the Treaty of Waitangi settlement process with Te Atiawa.
"The Taranaki land wars unfairly labelled Taranaki Maori as rebels," Finlayson says.
"The resulting large scale confiscations of land under the New Zealand Settlements Act had a devastating effect on iwi and left them unable to sustain their whanau and hapu."
Where cannon once sounded on Wednesday waiata rang out as leaders from Maoridom watched on.
The historic settlement is being hailed outside of the region too.
"It represents the beginning of the end for one of the most important grievances, which dates back around 150 years," says Professor Paul Moon from the Auckland University of Technology.
Iwi offered a $34 million settlement for seized land more than 10 years ago. The offer was never banked and now stalled negotiations can begin again.
Elders and the treaty settlements office will now begin negotiations, a process that may well take months but is still comparatively quick after years of conflict.
Finlayson says the Taranaki land wars and the confiscation that followed, and the invasion of Parihaka in 1881, have been acknowledged by the Crown in the Waitangi Tribunal as an injustice, and as breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi.
"We hope today marks a new beginning in the Crown's ongoing relationship with the two tribes of Taranaki Iwi and Te Atiawa," he says.
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