Suggested activities for social justice concept

Students view Rendition of the waiata "E te Hokowhitu a Tū", and discuss how the composer Tuini Ngāwai alludes to the loss of Māori male leaders/role models. (View also The meaning of the waiata "E te Hokowhitu a Tū", which explains that this waiata was first performed to pay tribute to Lieutenant Moananui-a-Kiwa VC.)

Students research the reception Māori soldiers received on their return from the war, in terms of social justice, for example, they did not have equal citizenship with their Pākehā compatriots, as was demonstrated by such things as Māori not receiving the gift of land that the Pākehā soldiers received, and post-war traumatic stress not being handled well by the public health system. (View How did men enlist, and what were they like when they returned?, where Taipari Munro explains how the war affected our young Māori men. View also Matene Waetford – marching through Kaikohe, and Matene Waetford – an example of inequality, where a soldier who travelled home with the 28^th Māori Battalion recounts his feelings on marching through Kaikohe and gives his perspective on post-war attitudes to Māori.)

Students explore the meaning/ significance of the lyrics in the traditional haka "Ka Eke i te Wiwī" to see how its use has been adapted over time. (View Rendition of the haka "Ka Eke i te Wiwī", The derivation of the haka "Ka Eke i te Wiwī", and Adapting tikanga, for an explanation of the influences that have changed Māori society over time.)

Students investigate the background to the VC and the circumstances in which it is awarded.

Students research the story of Haane, using the relevant video clips in Kia Mau and information at on New Zealand History. (View Battle at Takrouna, where Haane’s son talks about why his father was nominated for the VC after the Battle of Takrouna.)

Students record their findings onto the research template, copy master 3 (available to download below), using the questions on the copy master as a guide to find out why Haane was denied the VC in the first instance (mishandled by the New Zealand Government) and in the second instance (Buckingham Palace upholding the George V rule) and what was done in lieu. (View Downgrading of Haane Manahi’s Victoria Cross, for an account of the downgrading. Also view Honouring Haane Manahi – for God, the altar cloth, Honouring Haane Manahi – for King, the letter of recognition, and Honouring Haane Manahi – for country, Te Arawa Sword of Gallantry, about the three taonga presented by Prince Andrew; namely, the altar cloth, the letter of recognition from Queen Elizabeth, and the sword of gallantry presented to Te Arawa.)

Students present their findings using a variety of media, for example, PowerPoint, posters, charts, audio recording, video, and so on.

Students suggest how they might go about seeking redress for a whānau member overlooked for an award, for example, which people they would approach (and why) and what their plan of action would be.

Students debate whether medals are an appropriate way to acknowledge participation in war.

Students discuss why we need heroes (for example, whānau members, All Blacks, singers, and so on), who their own heroes are, and why.

Students brainstorm some points to remember when composing haka/waiata for their school, or for a kapa haka competition/performance. (View The evolution of haka from traditional to contemporary, where Te Keepa Stirling compares traditional expressions of haka with those performed today. View How should haka be performed?, where Te Keepa talks about how the spirit of our ancestors can empower students’ performance. 

Requirements

• Various media for presentation of research.

Possible extension activities

Students research other waiata that Tuini Ngāwai wrote, for example, themes and their relevance or not today. (View Tuini Ngāwai and Te Hokowhitu a Tū concert group, where Tauira Takurua talks about Tuini’s kapa haka.

Students create an evidence base to show Haane was deserving of the VC.

Students suggest what else could have been done retrospectively to rectify the problem of Haane not receiving a VC.

Students explore what Māori society and culture was like before the war, for example, more rural, less urbanisation; sons/fathers/brothers working the land on their marae; the waiata/haka being relevant to what was happening pre-war.

Students discuss personal examples of anomalies surrounding awards, for example, prefectship, sports captaincy, changes in government policy regarding knighthoods.

Students debate the pros and cons of the Haane situation by taking one of two sides – the British Queen and her advisors or Te Arawa and the RSA.