Geoff Parker: Waerenga-a-Hika - The History RNZ Left Out

This article is not intended to deny Māori suffering, but to argue that historical events must be examined in their full context.

RNZ's recent article, The Deadly Battle New Zealand Forgot, is a moving account of the Battle of Waerenga-a-Hika and the suffering endured by many Māori communities. No fair-minded New Zealander would deny that lives were lost, families were torn apart, prisoners were exiled, and communities experienced hardship whose effects continued for generations.

But history deserves more than sympathy alone. It also deserves context.