A new documentary by Mihingarangi Forbes and Great Southern Television for RNZ tells of the first conflicts over the fertile lands of Taranaki. 

When we remember the Armistice, remember what happened here too.

Horatio Robley witnessed the most famous battle of the New Zealand Wars, he fathered a child with the daughter of a sworn enemy, his sketching helped end a war and his book helped save the art of Māori tattooing. But mostly he’s famous for his grotesque collection of nearly 40 human heads.

As the second annual commemoration of the New Zealand Wars approaches, Green MP Gareth Hughes lays down a wero for his fellow MPs.

Historian Vincent O'Malley conducted his own survey over the weekend on what people did and didn't learn about New Zealand history at school. The results, no matter how unscientific, still paint a clear picture.

The arguments for a national day to commemorate the New Zealand Wars are strong, but each iwi also has its own case for holding it on a separate date, writes RNZ's Shannon Haunui-Thompson.

Australian and New Zealand volunteers fought together in the Waikato War, yet still its place in the Anzac tradition is unacknowledged by our defence forces or RSA.

Taranaki are expected to host next year's national commemoration of the New Zealand Wars and yet the Waitara land-grab that sparked the Taranaki Wars has still yet to be resolved.

The name of a beer from a Waiheke brewing company has come under fire for its links to a prominent Ngāpuhi chief.

Black Sheep is an RNZ series about the controversial characters of New Zealand history. In this instalment: Kimble Bent, the American soldier who fought – and switched sides – in the Taranaki Land Wars of the 1860s.

Hamilton Mayor Andrew King has withdrawn his proposal to rename the council Kirikiriroa City Council after widespread opposition. Hamilton local Horiana Henderson looks at the history of the name and explains why it's a missed opportunity.

Essayist Nadine Anne Hura goes looking for one ancestor's story, and asks what really lies underneath our monuments to war.

Black Sheep is an RNZ series about the shady, controversial and sometimes downright villainous characters of New Zealand history, presented by William Ray. Here he introduces James Prendergast, the attorney general and chief justice accused of being a racist enemy of Māori. 

As well as being the official NZ Wars commemoration date, October 28 is celebrated by Northland iwi for the signing of the Declaration of Independence, a document that recognised Māori sovereignty, explains Miriama Aoake.

Radio New Zealand has released a 30-minute documentary on the battle at Ruapekapeka, an incredibly sophisticated pā in the far north where 400 Ngāpuhi and Ngāti Hine warriors stood against a combined British force of 1600. Don Rowe attends the premiere, and considers what it means for New Zealand's self-image.