Two Birds with One Stone: The Cabinet of Te Whiti-o-Rongomai and Tohu Kakahi, 1881

This committee is for woman and gender non-conforming delegates.

There is no war in Parihaka. At least, life under Māori leaders Te Whiti and Tohu seems tranquil, free of interference from the oppressive colonial settlers against whom the pair staged a massive peaceful protest in years past. Here, hundreds of Māori thrive in harmony with one another, living among acres of farmland, booming businesses, and higher morale than might have previously seemed possible under the thumb of the British oppressors.

But everything changed at the dawn of November 5, 1881. Suddenly, Parihaka is overrun with 1,600 troops and cavalry on behalf of the Crown—and they have every intention of reining in the native rebels. Led by Minister of Native Affairs John Bryce, the constabulary forces reject the welcoming advances and offerings of food from the Māori, instead arresting the settlement’s courageous leaders and many of their followers with little resistance.

The power vacuum that Te Whiti and Tohu have left behind threatens more than the internal stability of the settlement: indeed, it is an attack of the highest order on the safety and sovereignty of Maōri across New Zealand. While peaceful resistance and cultural resilience have paved the way for the natives thus far, the Parihaka cabinet must reckon with an uncertain future that is sure to bring even more hardship and strife, if the British government has anything to say about it. How does the settlement immediately recoup from the loss of its guiding forces? How may the cabinet simultaneously maintain Parihaka’s domestic prosperity and successfully deal with external pressures? The success of the settlement is in your hands.