Heroes... New Zealands connection to Gandhi

In 1881 the British soldiers walked into Parihaka, a peaceful village in New Plymouth.  They were there to fight and take the land for the crown.  But the chiefs of Parihaka - Te Whiti and Tohu, told their people to meet the soldiers with singing,flowers and food and peace -  they were the fathers of passive resistance.  Gandhi was known to talk about these two chiefs and some believe that he based his ideas for passive resistance on the struggles in Parihaka.

Unbelievably, the British killed almost all of the villagers and took the men who survived to the South Island.  They destroyed one of the most vibrant, peaceful, passive and co-operative Maori villages in New Zealand, and took the land.  This is one of the worst breech of Human rights in New Zealand's history.

Our children need to know about this part of our history so that they can understand why so many Maori feel grieved.  But also to be inspired by the forward thinking and peaceful ideal of these two amazing chiefs.  They were Heroes and their actions and philosophies will resonate for ever.

Tim Finn sung...

"Te-Whiti had it right, this passive resistance thing. He learnt a clever way to fight. They came in and wiped his people out. But every body remembers him, they don't remember the people who wiped them out!"

 

I have been really impressed with the children's willingness to learn about something knew, and how passionate they are about their country. Well done on your excellent inquiry homework and research on Gandhi.
Remember all the homework tasks relate to what we do in class and allow the children to gain deeper understanding of the topic. When children understand something they feel really confident contributing their ideas during class discussions!

Ms Berry