January 17 - Remembering Parihaka

Just to balance yesterday and show how far New Zealand's music industry has come, here is the song Parihaka sung by Tim Finn of Split Enz and Crowded House fame singing with the band Herbs.

For my non-Kiwi friends, Parihaka was a self-supporting community in the second half of the 1800's. It housed about 2000 dispossessed Maori in Taranaki. Lead by Te Whiti they used peaceful non-compliance as a way to try to gain justice.

One example of the non-violent methods employed by the people of Parihaka is that when the constabulary came to remove them from the land they were meet by singing and skipping children who offered them food, rather than by militant people intent on violent resistance.

The village was destroyed and the people dispersed throughout the country, however Parihaka has became a rallying point in later generations to people who support justice for all regardless of the cost.

Parihaka on Wikipedia and the Parihaka website.

Parihaka


My friend my friend
I hate to see you suffer
Events conspire to bring us to our knees
My friend my friend
You've taken this the wrong way
Rise up defend yourself never give in

Look to the sky the spirit of Te Whiti
The endless tide is murmuring his name
I know Te Whiti will never be defeated
And even at the darkest hour
His presence will remain

I'll sing for you a song of Parihaka

Te Whiti he used the language of the spirit
Then stood accused a madman and his dream
He saw the train go roaring thru the tunnel
He heard the voice travel on the magic wire
But Te Whiti loved the silence of the river
He watched the dog piss on the cannon's wheel

I know Te Whiti will never be defeated
And even at the darkest hour
His presence will remain
I'll sing for you a song of Parihaka

One day you'll know the truth
They can't pull out the roots
Come and take me home
To weep for my lost brother

They gather still the clouds of Taranaki
His children's children wearing the white plume
So take me for the sins of these sad islands
The wave still breaks on the rock of Rouhotu

And when you taste the salt that's on your pudding
And when you taste the sugar in your soup
Think of Te Whiti He'll never be defeated
Even at the darkest hour
His presence will remain

I'll sing for you the song of Parihaka
Come to Parihaka
Weep for my lost brother
The spirit of nonviolence
Has come to fill the silence
Come to Parihaka