Media Release 12 March 2012

Iwi leader says “Bring our warriors home”.

In response to the recent Muslim desecration of graves of New Zealand soldiers who fought in North Africa in the Second World War, Ngapuhi leader David Rankin has insisted that the bodies of all Maori soldiers be returned home, in line with Maori tikanga.

“For seventy years, we have had the RSA, which is a Pakeha organisation, dictating to us where the bodies of our ancestors should lie. They want them in foreign cemeteries, but our tikanga says that the bodies must always be returned home,” says Mr. Rankin.

Mr. Rankin, who lectures on Maori culture, explained that for the body of a warrior to be left in a foreign territory was a source of shame for an iwi. “For too long”, he says, “we have ignored our toa (warriors). Their spirits are crying out to be returned home, and we need to act on that before further desecration occurs.”

Mr. Rankin has offered to put up $50,000 to start a fund to have the bodies of Maori soldiers buried overseas repatriated. “If we can pay $100,000s of taxpayers’ dollars on having shrunken heads returned, then it is fair enough that Maori come up with the money to have our ancestors repatriated.”

“I am putting my money where my mouth is and starting the ball rolling,” says Rankin. He hopes to have other iwi organisations lend their support, although he expects the RSA will oppose him, “and that’s fair enough”, he points out, “because they are totally ignorant of tikanga.”

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