Hekia Parata
2 SEPTEMBER, 2014
Māori Battalion’s legacy to be preserved
The history of the legendary 28th Māori Battalion will be further preserved as part of a project to record the histories
of the Battalion’s A, B and D companies, says Education Minister Hekia Parata.
“In 2008, historian Dr Monty Soutar published the history of C Company in the award winning book, Ngā Tama Toa: The Price of Citizenship,” Ms Parata says. “To ensure the survival of the 28th Māori Battalion’s history, the Ministry of Education is
contributing $700,000 to compile and preserve the histories of the Battalion’s other A, B and D Companies.”
The project will also lead to new learning resources for school students – particularly those studying social studies
and history.
The Ministry of Education and Ministry for Culture and Heritage will partner with the Ngārimu VC and 28th (Māori)
Battalion Memorial Scholarship Fund Board on the project.
The Ministry for Culture and Heritage is contributing $400,000 in kind, including support for three historians to
undertake the project. Dr Soutar will act as a mentor for the history fellows. The Board is also contributing $50,000
per company district to gather up source material for the histories.
The project team is meeting with communities to identify a coordinating body for each company district. Each body will
seek out stories and memorabilia at a local level, help to appoint a historian and guide the Ministry for Culture and
Heritage, and the historian, throughout the project.
“Whānau, hapū and iwi are crucial to the project’s success as they hold the stories, letters, photos and records that
will breathe life and colour into the histories,” Ms Parata says.
“This investment will build a more comprehensive record of our past decisions as a country. It will be invaluable to
surviving veterans and their families, the wider public and tomorrow’s young New Zealanders.”
Editor's notes:
The history fellowships will be based at the Ministry for Culture and Heritage.
This will follow on from Phase 1 of the project, currently underway, to gather together archives held by whānau across
the A, B and D company districts.
Ngā Tama Toa: The Price of Citizenship awards (all in 2009) include;
• NZ Society of Authors Best First Book Award Non-Fiction Category
• Winner of Ngā Kupu Ora History Book Award
• Shortlisted for Nielsen BookData New Zealand Booksellers' Choice Award
Finalist in the Best Non-Fiction category of the Montana Book Awards
For more information, please visit: http://www.minedu.govt.nz/NZEducation/EducationPolicies/MaoriEducation/Initiatives/NgarimuVCAnd28thBattalionMemorialFund.aspx