People with connections to Parihaka have marked one of the most significant days in their calendar, the anniversary of the 5 November 1881 invasion of the Taranaki village by colonial forces.
Te Miringa Hohaia from the Parihaka International Peace Festival says the pahua always draws back hundreds of descendants to remember the teachings of Tohu Kakahi and Te Whiti o Rongomai, who led a non-violent campaign against land confiscation.
The day is marked by a special feast with a menu of chicken, pork and eel harks back to the food available when the community was under siege.
Mr Hohaia told Waatea News rather than Christian prayers, a simple statement from Tohu Kakahi about the meaning of the hakari is recited.
