2 new cases in Waikato

Waikato Times

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There are two new community cases of Covid-19 in Waikato on the first day of the new traffic light system. The total number of cases in Waikato is now at 480. There was also an unexpected wastewater detection in Matamata and followup samples are under way, director of public health Caroline McElnay said at the 1pm press conference yesterday. Earlier in the week, three cases were announced in Waharoa – about five kilometres from Matamata. There are five new cases in Bay of Plenty and one in the Lakes DHB. ‘‘Anyone with symptoms should get tested, even if you’re vaccinated,’’ McElnay said.

A debate over a key event of the New Zealand Wars that played out in the pages of the Waikato Times 30 years ago has received a new audience.

Back in 1991, reader Mac Burt penned a letter to the editor after reading a piece published in the Times that denied Mā ori were deliberately burnt to death at Rangiaowhia in February, 1864.

For reasons not known, Burt never submitted the letter to the Times but later passed it on to Treaty educators.

Burt’s letter, which gives an account of the events of Rangiaowhia from the perspective of an unnamed Mā ori woman who survived the British assault as a child, is reproduced in Voices from the New Zealand Wars by historian Vincent O’Malley.

The book tells the stories of the New Zealand Wars from the perspective of those who took part or witnessed the conflict.

‘‘I think through reading what they have to say about these conflicts through letters and diaries and journals and newspaper accounts . . . you get a real sense of the range of emotions and feelings that people experienced being caught up in these terrible defining conflicts,’’ O’Malley said.

Burt’s letter is one of two accounts of the conflict that have not been widely circulated until now.

The other account is a poem by journalist Samuel Croumbie-Brown about the invasion of Parihaka on November 5, 1881. Croumbie-Brown, who worked for the Lyttelton Times, witnessed the invasion firsthand from inside the settlement. He penned the poem, entitled Raid on Parihaka, a few days after the event.

‘‘He was indignant really about what had unfolded and what he witnessed. He described it [Parihaka] as a peaceful settlement that was ravaged by a lawless band of constabulary,’’ O’Malley said.

O’Malley contacted Ngā ti Apakura about Burt’s letter to check whether it agreed with their understanding of the events at Rangiaowhia.

‘‘Burt was a Pā kehā man, but he was kind of immersed in Mā ori society. They felt the letter was broadly consistent with Ngā ti Apakura’s own understanding.

‘‘It seems to be a very valuable attempt to document some of the oral understandings of what took place at Rangiaowhia.’’

From 2022, New Zealand history will be taught in all schools and kura. The curriculum change followed Stuff’s Time to Tell Our Story campaign which pushed for the compulsory teaching of New Zealand history.

Stuff’s campaign gave special prominence to the New Zealand Wars.

O’Malley said the New Zealand Wars should be a core part of the curriculum.

‘‘In Waikato, the invasion of Waikato should be at the forefront of what you learn because it’s such a significant series of events in the local history. It’s also important at a national level.’’

When it comes to teaching New Zealand history, the oral traditions of mana whenua will be invaluable. It’s therefore crucial they are properly resourced, O’Malley said.

‘‘My concern with the curriculum is that kaumā tua may be expected to share these oral traditions and their immense knowledge of these events for a cup of tea and a biscuit at the end of the day.

‘‘The exciting thing about the new history curriculum is that we will have in the future generations of New Zealanders who have historical literacy and awareness. They will be able to engage with the history of where they came from, and have a sense of the place they live in.’’

‘‘The exciting thing about the new history curriculum is that we will have in the future generations of New Zealanders who have historical literacy and awareness.’’

Vincent O’Malley