Waitangi's $15m Māori Battalion house of memories has 'sad story' to share

Thursday, 23 May 2019

A new Māori Battalion museum will be built near the Treaty House at Waitangi.

The 'sad story' of the poor treatment of the Māori Battalion will be shared when the Government's new $15 million museum opens at Waitangi next year.

The 28th (Māori) Battalion, as it's officially known, was New Zealand's most decorated World War II battalion, made up entirely of Māori volunteers.

The frontline infantry unit was formed with the belief it would enable Māori to gain the respect of Pākehā, participate as citizens of the British Empire and forge a united future for New Zealand.

The 28th Māori Battalion served in the Volturno Valley area in Italy but many were treated poorly when they returned home.

The reputation of the 3600 men who served in the Māori Battalion became legendary - they received more individual bravery decorations than any other New Zealand battalion, saw more fighting but also suffered the most casualties.

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Regional economic development minister Shane Jones checks out progress of the Māori Battalion whare maumahara at Waitangi.

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Cultural adviser Mori Rapana and MP Shane Jones walk through the lush Waitangi Treaty Grounds to the Māori Battalion museum site, being built in a pōhutukawa grove.

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Builders secure the final panel for the house of memories, made from concrete tinted with black oxide.

An impressive 1300 square-metre house of memories, whare maumahara, was being built on Waitangi Treaty Grounds in honour of the Māori Battalion and to recognise the war effort of Māori.

Treaty Grounds cultural manager Mori Rapana said the whare maumahara was important to recognise the Māori Battalion's sacrifices.

NZ First MP Shane Jones chats with Fell Engingeering's Casey-Joe Wikaira, Caan Silveira, and Jack Edmonds about the work prospects the museum creates.

'They fought for a cause they believed in strongly - that was to forge a sustainable future for future generations,' he said.

But the way the soldiers were treated when they returned from World War II was also an important part of the story, Rapana said.

'They were treated like second-class citizens,' he said. 'When they left, they left with full ownership of land; when they returned, those houses had been confiscated and their land had been sold.

'They returned home with nothing and none of the benefits that the soldiers where able to claim.'

Rapana said giving up their whenua (land) was a 'huge sacrifice' forced on the men.

'They were willing to die for our country but they never in 100 years imagined that they would return home and be treated the way that they were treated,' he said.

'THE PRICE OF CITIZENSHIP'

Regional economic development minister Shane Jones, who inspected progress on the work on Wednesday, said it was entirely appropriate the whare maumahara was built at Waitangi.

The 28th (Māori) Battalion gathered at Waitangi on 6 February 1940, just a few months before they were deployed overseas, he said.

There, they heard Sir Āpirana Ngata's 'Price of Citizenship' speech, which called on Māori to make the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

Ngata argued Māori support of the war effort was the ultimate way to honour the Treaty of Waitangi and gain equality with Pākehā.

'That way, the Māori could stand shoulder-to-shoulder, without a sliver of a doubt about their commitment,' Jones said.

PROJECT ON TIME, UNDER BUDGET

While the story of the Māori Battalion was tragic, the building of the $15m museum was smoother. Rapana said the project was on time and under budget.

Work started late last year but officially kicked-off on 5 February this year with the laying of mauri (life force) stones.

One stone came from Pouērua Maunga, the local mountain, while two were donated from Ruapekapeka - the pā where modern trench warfare was developed.

Work was done locally, benefiting about 50 people directly and a further 50 indirectly, said Terry Henwood, from lead contractor Henwood Construction.

The main part of the building was made from concrete tilt-slab panels made in Kerikeri, while the building's structure steel was prefabricated in Haruru Falls by Fell Engineering.

The house of memories, which included gallery space plus a multi-purpose conference area, was due to open on 5 February 2020.