- 'he laid down his gun, his fighting club and underlined this with his tapu. This peace was enforced by his decree that the path must not be raised again in battle. His life became one of peace' - Tame pokaia (Ngati mahuta) on Tawhiao's declaration for peace after the 1860's land disputes.
The land wars in the 1860’s caused many disputes that are still present today. Land is significant to Maori in terms of who they are as people and how they identify with their culture and ancestry.
Waikato tribes opposed involvement in the war from the very beginning. Those involved with the Kingitanga movement refused to cooperate with recruitment and conscription demands as they were still indignant about the requisitioning of their ancestral land. Many tribes had formed stronger bonds over the issue. Tribal leaders and elders did not pursue any active encouragement of their young men to to volunteer to fight.
Because they did not respond to volunteer recruitment demands, conscription was placed on the Waikato region. The section of the Military Service Act that referred to conscription was extended to Maori on June 26th 1917.
Police were forced to track down those who did not willingly respond to their conscription demand. They were aware of a number of men in the Waikato at Te Puea's community;
This included the brother of the Maori King Te Rata - Te Rauangaanga. He was only 16 when he was removed from his home at Te Paina Marae.
The men were taken to Narrow Neck Military Camp in Auckland, and were asked to put on the uniform.
Tae Tapara was one of the men who was taken here, and he wrote about his experiences at the camp:
"After refusing to wear the uniform of the soldier's we were given our first military punishment for 40 hours we only received bread and water. Once again we were asked to clothe ourselves in military uniform and once again we refused. This time the punishment was two weeks on bread and water. For the third time we were advised and for the third time we said no. Our punishment this time was no blankets to sleep under. The next day we were paraded in front of 1000 soldiers or more. For the last time we were asked 'Do you still refuse to put on the uniform of the solder?' Again we answered 'Yes.' Our verdict was two years jail in Mt Eden jail with hard labour. For 8 months we served our sentence."
All those affected by the forced removal of men from their homes, had a sense of solidarity in their beliefs; both the men and those they left at home. They believed in peace, and in Tawhiao’s order, so they stuck to it and refused to fight.
Tawhiao’s order of peace was very influential and his granddaughter Te Puea used the key idea that the Maori could not fight ‘for King and Country’ as they had their own, different king, and a country which had been confiscated in the name of the Crown. There was an attitude of why fight for another people in another land to solve their issues, when their own issues at home were not yet resolved. ‘Why should they suffer and fight a Pakeha war?’
This is still recent history. The entire conflict was not very long ago: 100 years since WWI, 150 since the land wars.
The men who stayed true to themselves were just as strong and heroic as those on the battlefields because it would have taken a large amount of strength to stay true under huge social and governmental pressure, and physical punishment.
Society has changed since the First World War, however there is still great significance to the people of today, particularly those who are related to those who were conscripted against their will.
One of the Granddaughters of Te Rauangaanga has spoken out about the significance in the present:
"To think it has happened in our lifetime. Mum's only 78 …it's like yesterday…a blink and that gets to me. And as an iwi we've lost a lot and that's emotional. To know that he's my grandfather and it happened too, I really believe it's still happening to Maori; not in the capacity that it happened to, with him, but it still happens. They're just doing it in another way. They are still taking our young at 16, at 14, but it's just a different way of being taken. It's brutal."
A newspaper clipping discussing the forced removal of conscripted men can be read here.
A newspaper clipping discussing further removal of men who had not responded to their letter of conscription can be read here.
Waikato tribes opposed involvement in the war from the very beginning. Those involved with the Kingitanga movement refused to cooperate with recruitment and conscription demands as they were still indignant about the requisitioning of their ancestral land. Many tribes had formed stronger bonds over the issue. Tribal leaders and elders did not pursue any active encouragement of their young men to to volunteer to fight.
Because they did not respond to volunteer recruitment demands, conscription was placed on the Waikato region. The section of the Military Service Act that referred to conscription was extended to Maori on June 26th 1917.
Police were forced to track down those who did not willingly respond to their conscription demand. They were aware of a number of men in the Waikato at Te Puea's community;
This included the brother of the Maori King Te Rata - Te Rauangaanga. He was only 16 when he was removed from his home at Te Paina Marae.
The men were taken to Narrow Neck Military Camp in Auckland, and were asked to put on the uniform.
Tae Tapara was one of the men who was taken here, and he wrote about his experiences at the camp:
"After refusing to wear the uniform of the soldier's we were given our first military punishment for 40 hours we only received bread and water. Once again we were asked to clothe ourselves in military uniform and once again we refused. This time the punishment was two weeks on bread and water. For the third time we were advised and for the third time we said no. Our punishment this time was no blankets to sleep under. The next day we were paraded in front of 1000 soldiers or more. For the last time we were asked 'Do you still refuse to put on the uniform of the solder?' Again we answered 'Yes.' Our verdict was two years jail in Mt Eden jail with hard labour. For 8 months we served our sentence."
All those affected by the forced removal of men from their homes, had a sense of solidarity in their beliefs; both the men and those they left at home. They believed in peace, and in Tawhiao’s order, so they stuck to it and refused to fight.
Tawhiao’s order of peace was very influential and his granddaughter Te Puea used the key idea that the Maori could not fight ‘for King and Country’ as they had their own, different king, and a country which had been confiscated in the name of the Crown. There was an attitude of why fight for another people in another land to solve their issues, when their own issues at home were not yet resolved. ‘Why should they suffer and fight a Pakeha war?’
This is still recent history. The entire conflict was not very long ago: 100 years since WWI, 150 since the land wars.
The men who stayed true to themselves were just as strong and heroic as those on the battlefields because it would have taken a large amount of strength to stay true under huge social and governmental pressure, and physical punishment.
Society has changed since the First World War, however there is still great significance to the people of today, particularly those who are related to those who were conscripted against their will.
One of the Granddaughters of Te Rauangaanga has spoken out about the significance in the present:
"To think it has happened in our lifetime. Mum's only 78 …it's like yesterday…a blink and that gets to me. And as an iwi we've lost a lot and that's emotional. To know that he's my grandfather and it happened too, I really believe it's still happening to Maori; not in the capacity that it happened to, with him, but it still happens. They're just doing it in another way. They are still taking our young at 16, at 14, but it's just a different way of being taken. It's brutal."
A newspaper clipping discussing the forced removal of conscripted men can be read here.
A newspaper clipping discussing further removal of men who had not responded to their letter of conscription can be read here.
nga ra o hune - the days of june
The 'Nga Ra o Hune' documentary first aired on Maori Television on 25th April, ANZAC day 2015.
It traces the steps of the descendants of Maori men taken away from their homes against their will in order to be pressured into fighting in World War One. It provides an insight, and different perspective on the story of the Waikato Maori who refused to fight and the significance it has on people today. Watch it here. |