Kei wareware tātou – Lest we forget
Apr 23, 2024
Anzac Day is a time to pause and reflect; to remember and honour the sacrifices of those, who served and continue to serve in the armed forces.
Anzac Day holds a special place in Ngāi Tahu hearts due to the many whānau members, who made the ultimate sacrifice in service of our country. It's a day to pay tribute to the bravery and selflessness of those who served, and to reflect on the values of mateship and resilience.
As we reflect, the Whakapapa unit at Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu is working on telling the stories of Ngāi Tahu soldiers, who served in World World I.
Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu Whakapapa Manager Arapata Reuben says his team has identified dozens of Ngāi Tahu WWI soldiers and is looking for whānau to come forward to help bring their stories to life.
In 2017, the Whakapapa unit published He Rau Mahara, which tells the remarkable history of 270 Ngāi Tahu soldiers, who served in WWI. It is an anthology of stories told through interviews with soldiers’ whānau, personal letters, diary extracts, and newspaper articles.
He Rau Mahara translates to ‘memories’, while ‘Rau’ is te reo Māori word for 100, a fitting acknowledgement given the book was published at the centenary of the Great War.
Since its publication and the launch of an accompanying website, at least 50 Ngāi Tahu WWI soldiers have been identified.
Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu Whakapapa Manager Arapata Reuben says whānau of WW1 soldiers started getting in touch not long after the book was published.
“We were getting calls from whānau asking: ‘Why isn’t my Pōua in the book?’ We sort of expected that because iwi affiliation was not listed on the enlistment forms of the soldiers.”
Another boost in identifying Ngāi Tahu WWI soldiers came through the Ministry of Defence granting access to its nominal rolls.
“We’re going through those rolls and matching names to our register of iwi members. We have identified another 100 soldiers who potentially could be of Ngai Tahu descent,” says Arapata Reuben.
He says that with such a high number of soldiers already identified and more to be confirmed, a second edition of He Rau Mahara is a possibility.
“Right now, we’re looking for whānau of these soldiers to help us tell their stories, so we’re putting the list of names out to see what comes of it.
“He Rau Mahara is a treasure trove; it’s a taonga. It brings the lives and deaths of our tīpuna into our living memory. We’re committed to acknowledging all our veterans; to remember and honour their sacrifices. Kei wareware tātou – Lest we forget.”
Arapata Reuben says if a new edition of the book was published it would do more than tell those stories.
“We want to address questions like why did we fight an enemy we’d never seen before, on land that wasn’t ours, for a cause that wasn’t ours? Why did our men sign up so fervently?”
The He Rau Mahara project was initiated to coincide with the New Zealand First World War Centenary, 2014-2019. Undertaken by the Whakapapa Unit at Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, He Rau Mahara brings together nearly three years of research into the remarkable history of Ngāi Tahu and New Zealand’s contribution to The First World War.
He Rau Mahara translates as ‘memories’. The word ‘Rau’ is te reo Māori for 100, a fitting acknowledgement for centennial commemorations.
He Rau Mahara commemorates these unsung heroes and their stories, considered ordinary for the tens of thousands of New Zealanders, who served during WWI. He Rau Mahara provides context to the war's events on the international stage and on the home front, so that we may begin to understand what our tīpuna went through in their darkest hours.
List: Recently identified Ngāi Tahu WWI soldiers
Do you know any of the men listed below? We are looking for relatives, who may be able to help us piece together their stories. Get in touch at [email protected].
ADAMS, John Taiuru Te Rongo
ADAMS, William Campbell
ARTHUR, John (II or III)
BISHOP, James Henry
BLACKIE, Herbert William
COOK, John
CROSS, B.G.H.
CROSS, Frederick
DUTTON, EDWIN
FAULKNER Charles Roy Simon
FLINT Charles Lewis
HARVEY Harry Wade
HIRST, Charles Edgar Dallas
HUDSON, Thomas Edward
HUNT, Charles North
LINLEY, Lewis Frederick
MCGREGOR, James Gould
MCGREGOR, Robert Edward
McNAUGHTON Robert
NEWTON, I
STEWART, William Alexander Clarke
TOPPING, James Alexander
TINDLE, Richard Francis
TINKHAM, Kenneth Tully
VALENTINE, Archibald
VALENTINE, Arthur Victor
VALENTINE, Charles
VALENTINE, Peter James
VALENTINE, William Sampson
WADDEL, George Roxby
WHAITIRI, M
WILLISON, Lancelot Douglas
WILSON, Alexander John
WILLS, Robert William
WIXON, Arthur Edmund
WHITE, Eric James
WHITE, Cecil Courtenay
WYBROW, Thomas
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