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Pākaitore Historical Context

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Pākaitore Historical Context

Read the briefing and source extracts, then answer using evidence. Distinguish documented events from interpretations, and remember that iwi and hapū perspectives are not necessarily identical.

Briefing: Pākaitore / Moutoa Gardens

Pākaitore, also known as Moutoa Gardens, is a riverside area in Whanganui. It has deep significance for Whanganui Māori, including connections to the awa (river), customary use, identity and authority. Pākaitore was occupied by tangata whenua before European settlement; it was not an empty space awaiting development. In the nineteenth century, colonisation, changing land laws, Crown actions and settler development brought competing claims and pressures over land and resources. The exact histories and positions of the iwi and hapū connected with Whanganui are diverse, so it is important not to treat Māori as a single viewpoint. In 1995, Whanganui Māori occupied Pākaitore for 79 days in a peaceful protest. The occupation drew national attention to grievances concerning land, authority and the Crown’s relationship with tangata whenua. It was a political action as well as an expression of connection to place. The site is now a public garden and memorial space. Its public use today does not erase the different histories and meanings attached to it.

Source file: evidence and perspective

Use these short, original source extracts alongside the briefing. They are paraphrased for this activity, not direct quotations. Source A — Historical context summary: Nineteenth-century Crown policies and settlement altered Māori control of land and resources in many parts of Aotearoa. Local experiences differed, and any account of Whanganui should be checked against iwi and hapū histories. Source B — Protest context summary: The 1995 occupation at Pākaitore was organised by Whanganui Māori to make claims visible and seek recognition. Those claims concerned land and authority in the context of colonisation and the Crown’s relationship with tangata whenua. Occupiers maintained a peaceful presence for 79 days. Source C — Public-space viewpoint: A visitor may understand Moutoa Gardens mainly as a civic garden and memorial. That present-day use is one perspective; it does not by itself explain the site’s earlier significance or the reasons for the occupation.

1.Identify two distinct meanings or forms of significance Pākaitore holds for Whanganui Māori, using details from the briefing. (2 marks)

2.What does the briefing mean when it says Pākaitore was not an “empty space” before European settlement? (2 marks)

3.Choose the most defensible conclusion from Sources A and B. (1 mark)

The 1995 occupation was unrelated to earlier history.
The occupation brought attention to grievances connected with land and authority, in a context shaped by colonisation.
All iwi and hapū had identical views about Pākaitore.
The sources prove every detail of nineteenth-century events.

4.Put these developments in chronological order, from earliest to latest: the 1995 occupation; nineteenth-century settlement and land pressures; the public garden’s present-day use. (2 marks)

5.Explain one way that a public garden viewpoint (Source C) may differ from an iwi or hapū viewpoint. Give a reason the viewpoints might not be mutually exclusive. (3 marks)

6.Match each Māori concept to the closest explanation in this context. Write the correct letter beside each term. (3 marks)

Whakapapa
Tūrangawaewae
Mana whenua

B. A place where a person or group has standing and belonging
A. Relationships and genealogical connections linking people, ancestors and place
C. Authority and responsibilities associated with people’s relationship to a place

7.Source B describes the occupation as peaceful. Explain how an occupation can still be a political protest. (2 marks)

8.A student says, “The 1995 occupation was only about people wanting access to a garden.” Use two details from the briefing or sources to challenge or qualify this claim. (3 marks)

9.Assess one strength and one limitation of Source B for investigating the causes and significance of the occupation. (4 marks)

10.Write a brief museum label (about 60–80 words) for Pākaitore that a visitor can understand. Include its other name, one historical context detail, the 1995 occupation, and a reminder that perspectives may differ. (4 marks)