Green Party supports national Parihaka Day

The Green Party is calling on the Government to establish a national Parihaka Day.

The day would commemorate the extraordinary events of November 5 1881, when the Parihaka community practised passive resistance in response to the violent invasion by the Crown. The call for a national day of commemoration for Parihaka is also supported by many in the local community, former New Plymouth Mayor Andrew Judd and the Māori Party.

“It is essential that Aotearoa honours its history, and that we educate our children and mokopuna about the injustices of our past,” said Green Party Māori Development spokesperson Marama Davidson.

“Today many New Zealanders will be celebrating Guy Fawkes Day across the country, but we should also be remembering our own history of resisting oppression and injustice.

“The actions of the Armed Constabulary and the Crown were reprehensible and represent a dark time in our history, but the response of our tūpuna at Parihaka, who met violence with peace, was absolutely courageous.

“Too many New Zealanders aren’t aware of what happened at Parihaka; how hundreds of men were imprisoned without trial in inhumane conditions, and how women and children were sexually abused and left without food and shelter as the entire papakāinga was sacked and pillaged.

“The passive resistance practised by Te Whiti o Rongomai, Tohu Kākahi and their followers brought an end to the Taranaki land wars, and inspired the world.

“Our young people learn about the Indian independence and black civil rights movements in school, but too many don’t learn about our own tradition of non-violence, exemplified by Parihaka, which is said to have influenced Ghandi and Martin Luther King Jr.

“We have a responsibility as a country to do everything we can to keep our history alive, so that we can learn the lessons from our past and pass them down to future generations,” said Ms Davidson.

Action

Oppose New Zealand First’s Member’s Bill!

Support Trans Rights | Oppose the Gender Definition Bill

Action

Reject the Defining Gender Bill

Reject the Legislation (Definitions of Woman and Man) Amendment Bill introduced by New Zealand First.

Action

Disability Support System - Submission Guide

Uphold disability rights so disabled people and their whānau can thrive. Oppose the Disability Support Services Bill

Action

Oppose the 2026 budget

Sign our petition to show you oppose the Government's 2026 budget

Action

Leave our homes alone!

The Green Party is calling on the Government to stop its attack on people living in public housing - join our call today!

Action

Drug Overdose (Assistance Protection) Legislation Bill Submission Guide

Support Green MP Kahurangi Carter’s Bill to protect overdose emergency callers from legal risks!

Action

Keep Fees Free

Join our call to keep Fees Free for tertiary education!

Action

Protect Conservation Land

Sign out petition to oppose the Conservation Amendment Bill and protect conservation land!

Action

Stop the Fisheries Amendment Bill

Sign today to protect our moana.

Action

Electrify everything

Show your support for a National Electrification Plan!

Action

A home for everybody

A home for everybody - sign and share the open letter today!

Action

Tell us your stories about our special places

Share with us your stories about the places threatened by being fast tracked for mining permits.

Action

Protect our tamariki - Sign the open letter

Every child in Aotearoa deserves to grow up with safety and stability, wrapped in aroha. Sign our open letter today and help make that a reality!

Action

Local Events

We have activists across Aotearoa / New Zealand who are working hard to build a brighter future for our kids and grandkids. This page lists upcomin...

Latest Te Tiriti O Waitangi Announcements

Story

UNDRIP – Let’s get on with it

The Green Party welcomes the next steps towards implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) in Aotearo...

Statement for Moana Jackson

E te whatukura e wehe atu nei, ko tērā o ngā ngākau māhaki o tātou, ko koe tērā e Moana.

Return private land to Māori, say Greens

The Green Party’s Te Mātāwaka caucus has released Hoki Whenua Mai - a discussion document outlining what the Crown should do to redress the on-goin...

Democracy, human rights, and te Tiriti of Waitangi

Aotearoa can have a flourishing democracy with te Tiriti o Waitangi as its foundation. We can be proud of our democracy compared to many other coun...

Kaupapa Māori Policy

The Green Party will uphold tino rangatiratanga, enhance the mana of the Waitangi Tribunal, return land lost through colonisation, and support the ...

Policy

Te Tiriti o Waitangi Policy

Whakapapa In 2001, the Charter of the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand was amended to recognise Te Tiriti o Waitangi as our country’s founding d...

Latest Māori Development Announcements

Story

Māori media needs more investment, not funding cuts

The Green Party is gravely concerned about a major cut to funding for flagship Māori news and current affairs programmes Te Karere and The Hui by T...

Greens call for extension on Māori wards referendum

The Green Party is calling for the voting period for Māori wards to be extended after key information was left out of voting packs.

Green Budget delivers for Māori

The Green Party is delivering for Māori with its Green Budget.

Tribunal review an attack on Te Tiriti o Waitangi

The Government’s plans to limit the powers and scope of the Waitangi Tribunal is a disgrace.

Missed opportunity to stop the stealing of Māori land

The Green Party is disappointed the Government voted down Hūhana Lyndon’s member’s Bill, which would have prevented further alienation of Māori lan...

Greens stand in solidarity with mana whenua of Lake Rotokākahi

The Green Party supports the peaceful occupation at Lake Rotokākahi and are calling for the controversial sewerage project on the lake to be stoppe...