A kuia from Parihaka, which was invaded by colonial troops in 1881, wants more of its descendants to tell the story of the Taranaki settlement's past.
Yesterday marked 133 years since the settlement beneath the western slopes of Mount Taranaki was entered by troops.
An organiser of the National Parihaka Day commemorations, Maata Wharehoka, said her people of Parihaka should be telling the story about the settlement, rather than non-Maori people or historians.
Ms Wharehoka said they breathe their history and their identity - and that was why this year she had been sending people throughout the country to share the story of Parihaka.