An historic site in Waimā where Maōri planned to ambush Crown soldiers over the dog tax war of the 1890s is being used as a dumping ground. But this weekend locals plan to clean up the site.
Tony Makiha says, “It's a good idea so that we remember these places and they remain sacred in our minds. The soldiers were shipped up from Wellington to Rāwene with their cannons which they brought here to Waimā where they stayed for three months collecting rifles and guns from all the local Māori.”
The site also marks the last of all historical confrontations between Māori and Pākehā in the district.
Patu Hohepa believes, “It’s only right to tidy it up and not to use it as a dumping ground because it still retains the sacredness of our ancestors.”