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The Battle of Ōrākau pa site being returned to Maori
Maori are portrayed as the victims in this news segment but here's what the battle was about:
- A small number of Maori no longer wanted to be under the laws of NZ, they wanted to make their own rules and went to war with the Crown. It was happenning throughout the North Island - the majority of Maori supported the Crown.
- The Crown and other Maori tribes fought the rebels and won. These battles were called The New Zealand Wars.
- In regard to Ōrākau, Rewi had already setup fortifications in preparation for the battle
- The pa was offered the opportunity to surrender multiple times but refused
- The land was confiscated to deter other tribes from rebelling. In total, 4% of NZ was confiscated and most has been returned.
- More info here: https://nzhistory.govt.nz/war/war-in-waikato/battle-of-orakau
Date: 2024-04-30
Source: 1News at 6PM
