Hundreds gather in Northland to remember the Battle of Ruapekapeka Pā

Healing and reconciliation were the key themes as Northlanders remembered the Battle of Ruapekapeka Pā, a conflict that ended 180 years ago but still reverberates today.

Up to 1000 people gathered at the pā before dawn on Sunday for the third and final day of commemorations.

The day started with the unveiling of 13 new pou - one of which towers 10 metres over the Ruapekapeka turnoff on State Highway 1 - followed by a mass haka by 300 warriors from every corner of the motu.

As warriors made their way up the hill to the pā, the dawn echoed with gunfire, chants and karanga, and the air was thick with gunpowder smoke.

A flag-raising ceremony was held, waiata were sung, and Bishop Te Kitohi Pikaahu led a service before the crowd descended the hill for a hāngī breakfast.

The battle was the final engagement of the Northern War, which started in Kororāreka - later renamed Russell - in March 1845, then raged across mid-Northland until British forces captured Ruapekapeka Pā on 11 January 1845 after a two-week bombardment.

However, Ngāti Hine chief Te Ruki Kawiti and most of his men escaped, and the war ended in a truce of sorts.

The chief famously told Governor George Grey, "If you have had enough, then I have had enough. But if you have not had enough, then I have not had enough either."

As a result, the so-called "rebels" kept their land, unlike other parts of the country where the Crown confiscated land from Māori it had fought.

However, the battle created divisions that remain to this day, because Māori battled on both sides, some allied to the British, others joined Kawiti in defence of the pā.

Hūhana Lyndon, one of the key organisers of Te Ruapekapeka 180, said it was important New Zealanders remembered their past.

"These northern wars, like those across the country, are an important part of our patchwork of local stories. We have to recognise the loss that occurred, but also the opportunity for restoration, restitution, and respecting what happened then as well as what we can learn for the future."

Lyndon, who has ancestors on both sides of the conflict, said the division sown by the war was "a sad part of our history".

"Our ancestors were called rebels, and that label stuck for many years. There's also been the use, or misuse, of the word kupapa [collaborator/traitor]. We need to own it, but we also need to stop using the word as we look to grow and come back together as people, because it's in our whakapapa, our genealogy."

Lyndon, also a Green MP, said the wairua of the event was "amazing" and the crowds were massive.

A fleet of 12 buses transported people from every corner of Northland, joining politicians, local leaders, Defence Force chiefs and other dignitaries.

Northland MP Grant McCallum said the 3am start had been worth it.

"What a morning. It's been amazing. The blessing of the pou down by the intersection of State Highway 1 was just spectacular."

The 10m-tall pou ihi, or wayfinder pou, was built at the Ruapekapeka turnoff by Arapeta Barber, using steel and totara.

The warrior figure's taiaha alone is 6.5m long.

McCallum said in the past, most people, himself included, would have driven past the pā without knowing it was there.

Now, however, there was no way of missing it.

The MP agreed it was important to remember the past.

"It's part of who we are. It's part of how we got to where we are, and how we resolved problems back then. We battled amongst ourselves but then made peace. And I think the symbolism of that is quite important, because once this battle was over, they decided, well, that's it, and they got on with life."

A central part of the 180th anniversary commemorations was the pre-dawn unveiling of 12 tūpuna [ancestral] pou, on no-man's land between the British forward position and the pā.

The four hapū on the Te Ruapekapeka Trust were each represented by two pou, while the remaining four represent all other combatants, on both sides of the battle.

Every pou was made in a different style in materials ranging from traditional wood to stone and stainless steel.

The carvers included Wiremu Keretene, who created one of two pou representing Ngāti Hine.

His pou also acknowledged his late wife, Erana, and the battles of all women.

"It was a bit emotional, but by the same token it was a very special day. Not only revealing our 12 pou, but also being back on the battleground that my forefathers fought on, on both sides. That was the bonus for me."

The commemorations were also a major logistical exercise with many hundreds of people needing to be fed each day at Kawiti Marae, location of the wānanga [lectures] and pōwhiri [welcomes].

One of the cooks, Hineamaru Ropatini, described herself as "one of the soldiers behind the scenes, carrying the gunpowder but not shooting the guns".

Ensuring guests ate well was inherent to Māori culture, she said.

Ropatini said whānaungatanga, or relationship building, was an important part of the commemorations.

"We can't forget it wasn't just Ngāti Hine that was at Ruapekapeka, there were other hapū and other tribes that fought for the same reasons, so the mamae [hurt] went way beyond Ngāti Hine."

The other key kaupapa was ensuring mokopuna learned the stories of the battle, while there were still kaumātua and kuia for them to learn from.

Leading the military contingent was Rear Admiral Matt Williams, deputy chief of the Defence Force.

He described the commemorations as "pretty poignant", saying they linked the Defence Force's origins in the years after Te Tiriti o Waitangi to a present when more than 20 percent of personnel were Māori.

He was excited to see the pā's fortifications first-hand - the earthworks, bunkers and tunnels are still largely intact 180 years later - and had been fascinated by talks the previous day by descendants of fighters on both sides of the battle.

Te Ruapekapeka Trust chairman Pita Tipene said he was grateful to everyone who had made the commemorations a success.

"Everybody left with a good feeling in their hearts and minds, because this is all about healing. It's really, really important to remember our own history, as we rightfully do when we remember our service people who fought abroad. But we also have battles that were fought in our own backyards, by people who gave their lives for what they believed in," he said.

The unveiling of the 12 pou and the discussions of preceding days had done much to foster reconciliation.

"There were those who were defending the pa in 1846 and those who were on the side of the British attacking. And there is still a lot of hurt and mamae, as we call it, in people's hearts, which has never been resolved. So, it was a really good feeling of reconciliation amongst all of the hapu of Ngāpuhi, as symbolised in the pou."

The next commemorations will be held in 2031 for the battle's 185th anniversary.

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