The proposed detainment in the South Island was aimed at discouraging further "rebellion".
One elderly prisoner named Waiata died almost immediately and by July 1870, seven more Maori prisoners had died. From mid-1871, the Maori deaths began to appear in the Dunedin Register of Deaths. Some of the names of the deceased were Tamehana (aged 60), Ruka A Te Onekiwa (70), Ruka Taramua (65), H Te Ngohi (70), HR Karangona (53), RA Tukurangi (25), Wiremu Tupito (32), and Netana (17).
During their imprisonment, those fit enough were sent to projects like building roads, earthworks and breaking rocks. Thousands of hours were worked on these projects. Reports from Dunedin jail suggested that one quarter of the men were unable to work.
The first batch of prisoners were released in March 1872 and returned home to southern Taranaki, arriving at a time when turmoil was again affecting the coastal Maori communities over confiscations and prospective land losses.
This time, protests were centred at Parihaka, which was now a thriving village.
Imprisoning Parihaka men started in 1879. A party led by Te Ika was arrested on July 3, offering no resistance as they were taken into custody. Te Ika's party, comprising 11 ploughmen, was sent to trial in New Plymouth, the charges included the "inflicting of malicious injury, forcible entry and riot".
Later in July, a further 90 ploughmen were placed into custody. The next day, 105 further arrests were made. Other ploughmen arrested were sent directly to Wellington to await trial and were held in Mt Cook prison, on which a substantial amount of funds was spent and repairs made to construct an encircling palisade.
On August 21, 1879, 46 more of Te Whiti and Tohu's people were sent to prison in Dunedin. In January 1880, a further 91 prisoners arrived, again sentenced to indefinite detention while Parliament prevaricated as to their fate.
Like all Maori MPs, South Island Maori MP HK Taiaroa strongly condemned the legislation being passed in Parliament after 1879 which enabled Maori to be kept in prison indefinitely. This legislation included an indemnity act, whereby the government protected itself against legal action for knowingly transgressed Maori civil rights.
Kaumatua from Kai Tahu were regular visitors to Parihaka at this time. Kai Tahu support for the Taranaki cause came principally from Raniera Ellison, a strong supporter of Te Whiti who held religious meetings in his house on the 17th of every month.
The incarcerating of Maori continued in 1917 when 185 Waikato men were arrested for refusing the enlist for service overseas, heeding calls to repudiate violence for all time made by Te Whiti, Tohu and their own King Tawhiao.
Those imprisoned were taken to Narrow Neck camp and fed on bread and water, sleeping on bare floorboards with blankets and pillows denied them.
Much later - March 23, 1987 - a one-ton rock memorialising the Taranaki prisoners was unveiled in Dunedin.
Danny Keenan is a full-time writer living in Wanganui. He has a PhD in Maori history and taught at Massey University and was also visiting professor at Georgetown University, Washington DC
