22 Kohitātea 2026
File Ref: OIA 50568
Rowan Patrick
[FYI request #32933 email]
Tēnā koe Rowan
Official Information Act request
Thank you for your information request dated
20 November 2025.
You asked for the
following information:
“I would like all TPK reports, correspondence, minutes, etc., relating to the
discussion, planning, and implementing of the NZ Wars national day of
commemoration (now officially He Rā Maumahara, Te Pūtake o Te Riri) since 2000.
I realise some of this wil sit with MCH and other agencies. I am especially interested
in the earlier discussions around a possible day of commemoration, prior to the
Ōtorohanga school petition in 2015, such as iwi leaders and other stakeholders”.
On 28 November 2025 we contacted you to advise that an initial search of our records
identified that a large number of documents could potentially be in scope of your request
and we invited you to consider refining the scope of your request. We also provided you
with links to information that is publicly available.
On 30 November 2025 you responded to advise that:
“
I’d rather not amend this request along those lines, because although my request
might require extensive compilation and capture a wider range of documents, I want
to understand the earliest references to a NZ Wars day, and the incremental
decisions made around its development that led to the public announcement. Advice
to the minister wil be important to this, but I’m also interested in tracing the timeline
of other stakeholder input, as wel as the nature of that input.”
On 16 December 2025 we notified you of our decision to extend the timeframe for your
request under
15A(1)(a)
of the Act
and that you would receive our response on or before
9 February 2026.
Your request has been considered in accordance with the Official Information Act 1982
(
Act).
Inaugural He Rā Maumahara – Pūtake o Te Riri: background and timeline of events
The earliest push for an official commemoration of the New Zealand Wars came from
grassroots efforts rather than Government or academic circles. The idea began gaining
momentum around 2010, championed by a mix of Māori leaders and heritage advocates,
including the National Iwi Chairs Forum (NICF), the Kīngitanga and the Battle of Ōrākau
Heritage Society. These groups discussed this matter at hui and through their networks,
calling for recognition of the New Zealand Wars and their impacts.
Ōtorohanga College students also played a pivotal role in the establishment of the
commemoration. After visiting historic battle sites like Ōrākau and Rangiaowhia in 2014,
the students were concerned by how little was known or taught about the New Zealand
Wars. Students Leah Bell and Waimārama Anderson then launched a petition in 2015
calling for a national day to commemorate the New Zealand Wars and mandatory teaching
of these conflicts in schools.
Their petition gathered 12,000 signatures and was presented to Parliament with strong
support from iwi and community representatives. The petition was explicitly supported by
the NICF and the Kīngitanga, and community advocate groups – showing that iwi
leadership had already been considering the idea. Support for the petition was based on
recognition that New Zealand had a history of commemorating overseas campaigns, but
that little had been done to recognise conflicts that occurred in New Zealand and the impact
of these conflicts on whānau, hapū and iwi. The Māori Affairs Select Committee report on
the petition can be found here.
In Budget 2016, the Government allocated $4m over four years for the New Zealand Land
Wars Commemoration Fund (Te Pūtake o te Riri), to be administered by Te Puni Kōkiri
with an ongoing commitment made by the Government in Budget 2019 for $1m per annum.
I note that document 1 provides some context (discussions between Ministers) relating to
commemoration policy and funding arrangements to commemorate Māori wars (Waikato-
Tauranga War) prior to the Ōtorohanga College students petition being presented to
Parliament and the Pūtake o Te Riri fund being established.
Although information on the early engagements between iwi and Government
representatives was unable to be located on our official correspondence register (it may
not exist), I can provide you with the outcomes of hui held in September 2016 (see
document 2) – where iwi decided the following:
• the date of 28 October was assigned as the annual New Zealand Land Wars
Commemorations Day (this date was chosen to acknowledge and align with the
signing of the Declaration of Independence on the 28 October 1835)
• the first commemorations would be held in Te Tai Tokerau
• commemorations wil then move from region to region each year (see document
3).
The inaugural He Rā Maumahara commemoration took place on 11 March 2018 in the
Bay of Islands, specifically in Kororāreka, hosted by the iwi of Te Tai Tokerau. This marked
the first officially recognised remembrance of the New Zealand Wars at a national level.
This date was an agreed departure from 28 October, the annual date set by iwi (see
document 4)
I understand that you are especially interested in the discussions led by iwi and community
groups (prior to the Ōtorohanga school petition) noted above. Given these discussions
were initiated and driven by iwi and advocate groups, I suggest that you contact them
directly for information relating to those early engagements.
I note that you have also made a similar request for information with the Ministry for Culture
and Heritage which has a key role in providing historical resources, research, and
educational content including about the New Zealand Wars. It is my hope that you receive
the information you are seeking across both of your requests.
Response to your request
Please note that we have limited the scope of your request to only include information
prepared by Te Puni Kōkiri, recorded in our official correspondence register. This is
because a search of our document management system identified that thousands of items
would need to be considered for relevance.
As noted above, on 28 November 2025 we wrote to you about your request and asked
you to consider refining your request. As your request was not refined, any information
recorded outside of our official correspondence register, is refused under section 18(f) of
the Act as the information cannot be made available without substantial collation or
research. This letter, however, aims to provide you with contextual and chronological
information (in addition to the released documents released) on early discussions around
a possible day of commemoration.
Four documents have been identified in scope of your request. The documents and my
decisions with regard to the release of the information are set out in the table attached as
Appendix A.
Some information has been withheld in accordance with the Act on under s9(2)(a) – to
protect the privacy of natural persons, including that of deceased natural persons. In
relation to information that has been withheld under section 9 of the Act, I am of the opinion
that there are no countervailing considerations that make it desirable, in the public interest,
to make the information available at this time.
I trust my response satisfies your request under the Act.
You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this
response. Information about how to make a complaint is available at
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone 0800 802 602.
Please note that Te Puni Kōkiri publishes some of its OIA responses on its website, after
the response is sent to the requester. The responses published are those that are
considered to have a high level of public interest. We wil not publish your name, address
or contact details.
If you wish to discuss any aspect of your request with us, including this decision, please
feel free to contact us at [TPK request email].
Nāku noa, nā
Paula Rawiri
Hautū, Te Puni Kaupapa | Deputy Secretary, Policy
Appendix A: Documents - OIA request from Rowan Patrick dated 20 November 2025
Item Date
Document description
Decision
1.
8 June 2015
TPK 28991: Aide memoire: Recognition of the Māori wars
Names are withheld in
accordance with the
Act under section
9(2)(a)
2.
12 February 2016
File note 30875: Ministerial response and file note: Partnership Working
Names are withheld in
Group - NZ Wars National Commemoration Day
accordance with the
Act under section
9(2)(a)
3.
5 December 2016
TPK 33947: Aide memoire: Ministers Barry, Finlayson, and Parata
Names are withheld in
For Ministers Meeting on the New Zealand Wars, Education and the
accordance with the
Treaty
Act under section
9(2)(a)
4.
6 March 2018
TPK 36874: Briefing: Te Pūtake o Te Riri - He Ra Maumahara — 9 to 11
Names are withheld in
March 2018
accordance with the
Act under section
9(2)(a)
