1. Themes

2.   1. Colonialism: following the Treaty of Waitangi, which gave the crown (England) a monopoly on land purchases, many educated Maori believed this was being abused and that the land purchases were unfair.  Colonists (Pakeha) occupied land they considered they had purchased but had actually been confiscated from local tribes. Themes: What’s the big idea?

3.   Local Maori did not recognise the colonists as landowners as the “confiscation” was unfair. They occupied several hectares at Parihaka and almost 2000 local Maori settle there.  Te Whiti and Tohu, the spiritual leaders of Parihaka, based their beliefs and practices on both the Bible and Maori folklore/religion. They called themselves “the lost lambs of Israel”, after the dispossessed Jews of the Old Testament. Themes cont

4.   The use of the theme of colonialism in the poem “Parihaka” is shown through the lines “Rise up, defend yourself, never give in”, reflecting Tohu and Te Whiti’s peaceful resistance that gradually wore the colonists down.  It is further shown in “Then stood accused…He loved the silence of the river” – this is about how his traditions and old ways were being destroyed by uninvited “progress”. Themes

5.   Choices and consequences: this is used in two ways in the song. First, the people of Parihaka, in following the teachings of Tohu and Te Whiti, chose not to fight the invasion of Parihaka. The consequence was imprisonment (where many died), rape (often leading to disease) and eviction.  The second choice is that of the colonists to buy/settle on land that had been unfairly confiscated. This still resonates as treaty claims affect current landowners – e.g., Tainui settlement. This costs us, the descendants of the colonists, billions. Themes cont