Rangiriri Pā

Rangiriri Pā, in northern Waikato, occupies an important place in Aotearoa New Zealand’s history as the scene of a significant battle which signalled the start of the Waikato Land Wars.

The Battle of Rangiriri Pā is considered the bloodiest combat during the Waikato Land Wars and was marked by fierce and determined fighting which cost both Māori and Pākehā dearly.  

The wars played a significant role in shaping New Zealand and the Rangiriri project provides an opportunity to learn the history of the war, the injustices of Raupatu, or land confiscation, and the impact the conflict has had on our society and politics.

The Rangiriri battle trenches rebuild project received grant funding of $2.96 million from Kānoa’s Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) to improve the site - not only to remember the fierce fighting which occurred there, but to also tell its important story to visitors.

The grant came from a $20 million allocation to support historic sites of national importance. The investment aims to help tell our shared history, support Māori development, provide a unique tourism activity and strengthen economic recovery.

The official opening of the rebuilt Rangiriri Pā battle trenches on Saturday, 23 April 2022 was an emotional occasion for those who attended. There were powerful performances, chillingly realistic re-enactments of the war, tears, speeches, and the opportunity for healing and celebration.

Ngāti Naho, in partnership with Waikato Tainui, re-created a 120-metre-long section of the Rangiriri Pā battle trenches to share their stories as part of a unique live tourism experience - the Rangiriri Battlefield guided tour.

The opening of Rangiriri pā was supported by a video series featuring Ngāti Naho Chairperson Brad Totorewa in five short videos explaining the history and his motivation behind the project.

You can watch the entire video series on Rangiriri Pā below.

Giving our ancestors a voice

Rebuilding Rangiriri Trenches - Giving our ancestors a voice

Transcript

Duration: 1:46

[Drone footage moving down a pathway at Rangiriri, with a view of the sky and countryside]

[Text: Rebuilding the Rangiriri Trenches – Giving our ancestors a voice]

[A close up shot of Brad Totorewa, as he speaks]

Brad Totorewa: Kia ora, taku ingoa ko Brad Totorewa. Nō Ngāti Naho kō Maurea i te marae. Tēnā tātou.

The year, 2013, where we commenced Te Pūtake o te Riri, which was the Commemoration of Rangiriri, the Invasion of Waikato, 150 years.

[Done footage of the pā site, moving towards the main highway]

[various drone shots showing the countryside: rolling hills, a lake, the rebuilt trenches]

And as we, warriors from around Waikato and the wider Aotearoa, carried out the reenactment where children were lying on the ground, pretending that they were dead. And that our warriors, one-by-one, would lift them up onto these shoulders and return them to the middle of the pā.

[Mid-shot of Brad Totorewa speaking]

It was at that moment, beyond my tears, that a vision came to the forefront. And that vision was to give our ancestors a voice, to rebuild the Rangiriri trenches.

[Brad and two women walk along a pathway through the trenches.]

PGF funds was integral to provide capital work toenable us to rebuild, because no one knew how to rebuild these trenches.

[Brad and two women stand together outside and have a conversation, surrounded by the trenches.]

We were working off a map that was drawn by the Crown at that particular time, shortly after the invasion.

[Mid-shot of Brad Totorewa speaking]

And so we required the funds to actually do the build, and the build itself took about nine to 10 months.

[A shot of the countryside. Three logos appear: Kānoa Regional Economic Development & Investment Unit, Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment Hīkina Whakatutuki; Te Kāwanatanga o Aotearoa New Zealand Government].

Paving the way for hope

Rebuilding Rangiriri Trenches - Paving the way for hope

Transcript

Duration: 1:39

[Drone footage moving down a pathway at Rangiriri, with a view of the sky and countryside]

[Text: Rebuilding the Rangiriri Trenches – Paving the way for hope]

[A mid-shot of Brad Totorewa, as he speaks]

Brad Totorewa: There are a number of communities. The main community is the hapū community, or the mana whenua community. Addressing intergenerational trauma is important.

[Done footage of the pā site, rising the main highway, revealing a view of a lake]

And one way that we could do that was bringing to the forefront of the minds of all New Zealanders, the injustices that was caused, that was inflicted on us, leading to confiscation of 1.2 million acres of land.

[Mid-shot of Brad Tororewa as he speaks]

As a result of the invasion, we've lost treasures, identity, we're talking about waiata, karakia, homesteads. And when you look at the social issues that we're faced with today, this build of the Rangiriri trenches,

[Brad and two women climb some stairs at the pā site]

[Brad stands at the pā site, he uses hand gestures to express himself]

it's significant in terms of paving the way forward, for hope. We align the narratives.

[Brad walks through the site with another woman.

That's important that we get to share our own narratives from our own people, as opposed to reading books.

[Mid-shot of Brad as he speaks]

And looking at the historians of today. Most of them are non-Māori. But that's why it's important for us. It's a tool to educate our people.

[A shot of the countryside. Three logos appear: Kānoa Regional Economic Development & Investment Unit, Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment Hīkina Whakatutuki; Te Kāwanatanga o Aotearoa New Zealand Government].

Rangatahi (youth) can share the knowledge

Rebuilding Rangiriri Trenches - Youth to share knowledge

Transcript

Duration: 1:57

[Drone footage moving down a pathway at Rangiriri, with a view of the sky and countryside]

[Text: Rebuilding the Rangiriri Trenches – Rangatahi can share the knowledge]

[A mid-shot of Brad Totorewa, as he speaks]

Brad Totorewa: Our outlook for Rangiriri in its entirety is intergenerational outlook. Within this tourism sector, we require tour guides.

[shots of people at the pā site, walking up some steps, then sitting on the steps and having a conversation]

So we plan to build here a wānanga for our youth, our rangatahi and to which we will select throughout the wider schools here in Waikato and Tainui. That will start to bring our sixth and seventh form kids here to teach them about the history.

[Mid-shot of Brad as he speaks]

And as a result of being more competent in their history, they become tour guides for the holidays, after school, for the night tours,

[Various birds-eye view shots of the pā site from above]

and I think that's the transmission of knowledge, the passing down of knowledge, and having those systems in place.

That's what it looks like, it's more so, obviously it results in jobs.

[Brad recants a karakia in te reo Māori, over various drone shots of the pā site]

[Mid-shot of Brad as he speaks]

You heal the water, you heal people. You heal the land, you heal the people.

[A shot of the countryside. Three logos appear: Kānoa Regional Economic Development & Investment Unit, Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment Hīkina Whakatutuki; Te Kāwanatanga o Aotearoa New Zealand Government].

Empowering future generations

Rebuilding Rangiriri Trenches - Empower future generations

Transcript

Duration: 1:08

[Drone footage moving down a pathway at Rangiriri, with a view of the sky and countryside]

[Text: Rebuilding the Rangiriri Trenches – Empowering future generations]

[A close up shot of Brad Totorewa as he speaks]

Brad Totorewa: The narrative, the Western narrative, is that we're not supposed to be here today. And so when you ask the question, how does it make me feel?

[Various shots of Brad Totorewa at the pā site. He uses hand gestures to express himself.]

I feel humbled that I was able to provide an infrastructure and a tool that will empower future generations and I feel happy about it,

[Mid-shot of Brad Totorewa as he speaks]

it's great to know that you've built, that we've built something collectively. But the greatest feeling has been able to give voice to my ancestors, just behind us.

[Various drone shots of the Rangiriri pā site from above.]

It's the greatest feeling and to know that when I'm gone, this infrastructure here will be here for another 150 years.

[Mid-shot of Brad smiling]

[A shot of the countryside. Three logos appear: Kānoa Regional Economic Development & Investment Unit, Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment Hīkina Whakatutuki; Te Kāwanatanga o Aotearoa New Zealand Government].

Stand strong in adversity

Rebuilding Rangiriri Trenches - Stand strong in adversity

Transcript

Duration: 2:27

[Text: Rebuilding the Rangiriri Trenches – Standing strong in adversity]

[A close up shot of Brad Totorewa as he speaks]

Brad Totorewa: The theme of the opening is an extract from the aphorism of King Tāwhiao, the second Māori King, who said,

[Various shots of Brad walking through the trenches, overhead shots showing a birds-eye view of the trenches]

"Kua ara au i te papa o te whenua. Kua kitea atu au nga whetū e tū tahitahi ana. Matariki te kai-ruri, ko Atutahi kei te tī o te mangōroa"

[Mid-shot of Brad Totorewa as he speaks]

Which basically means I have risen from the base of the Earth, ko Matariki is the surveyor and Atutahi (Canopus) will reside at the peak of the Milky Way. And the explanation, one explanation of that refers to the ability of someone or somebody or one iwi to stand strong in times of adversity. It's like a process of rebirth. It's like a journey of enlightenment.

And so when you take their context the first part, kua ara ake au i te Papa o te whenua, I have risen from the base of the earth.

[Various drone shots showing the country landscape and the trenches]

It's the rebuild of the trenches, rising, rising. When you take that into the context of people, that's the transformation the emancipation, a mana motuhake.

[Mid-shot of Brad Totorewa as he speaks]

That's what it means. New Zealand is ready for this. Our people are ready to learn the history.

[Brad and two women walk along the path among the trenches]

We need to disrupt the thinking to bring a different perspective. And then from there, we get to rebuild the perspective of all New Zealanders, and we can do that through the curriculum.

[Mid-shot of Brad Totorewa as he speaks, intercut with more drone footage of the trenches from a birds-eye view]

This is reconstructing it so that you have a better, balanced view of the injustices inflicted on our people. This isn't about the injustices. This is about reflecting on that, so that's a beautiful theme, aye?

I have risen from the base of the earth. Pretty powerful because we weren't supposed to be here. That's a key point.

[A shot of the countryside. Three logos appear: Kānoa Regional Economic Development & Investment Unit, Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment Hīkina Whakatutuki; Te Kāwanatanga o Aotearoa New Zealand Government].