By Virginia Winder

Ask That Mountain author Dick Scott believes people are now exaggerating the story of Parihaka.

"It's too one-sided now," he says. "A huge amount of stuff has been done about Parihaka that's made it much worse than it really was."

Parihaka is famous as a place of passive resistance; a stance led by Te Whiti o Rongomai and Tohu Kakahi who advocated the use of non-violent tactics to keep Maori land.

The coastal Taranaki village of 2000 people was overthrown by Armed Constabulary and Volunteers on 5 November 1881.

Now he has begun to see grossly inaccurate reports of the powerful story. He has even read where the name of the Waitotoroa River (The River of Long Blood) has been attributed to the day of plunder.

"That was a name given at a time of tribal war," Dick says.

And while news reports have described Parihaka as New Zealand's equivalent to the holocaust, Dick wants to make it clear: "No one was killed during (Native Minister John) Bryce's occupation."

Another discrepancy relates to the dog urinating on the wheel of a cannon pointed at the village. "I have seen it written that the dog pissed on the gun powder and stopped it firing. It's gone silly the other way."

Dick also aims criticism at reports from Parihaka saying those taken as prisoners were used to build half the roads in the South Island and that hundreds died.

The history writer says truth is much less. "It's about one-tenth of what they are claiming," Dick says. "More like 20 than 200.

"There's an endless lot of exaggeration. It's gone too far and only gives ammunition to those who want to kill a wonderful struggle for justice."