Students view the waiata E Pari Rā and the associated clips. (View Rendition of the waiata E Pari Rā, showing this waiata being sung by whānau members, and Who wrote E Pari Rā and why?, where Tama Huata discusses the story behind the song, and why it is a song of farewell. View also Using the waltz to compose E Pari Rā, for an explanation of why Paraire Tomoana chose waltz timing, and Use of bold imagery in E Pari Rā, which discusses the image of the ebb and flow of the tide to express the love between mother and son.)

The teacher explains that E Pari Rā is a song of love, created during the First World War by Paraire Tomoana, a Ngāti Kahungunu and Ngāti Te Whatuiāpiti leader. The waiata depicts the love of a mother for her son, Whakatomo Ellison (mother from Ngāti Kahungunu, father from Kai Tahu), who died in the First World War. Tomoana portrays an image of the surging tide. As the waves come ashore, they bring the love of a son to his mother. As they go out, they carry the mother’s love to her boy. This waiata retained its relevance in the Second World War, as the feeling of loss and grief was a constant.

The teacher encourages students to empathise what it was like during the war:

• How did the Second World War impact on Māori, for example, loss of physical/mental/emotional health and wellbeing of soldiers, fewer Māori male role models in communities, women doing what were traditionally male roles, weakening of intergenerational transmission of knowledge, promises unmet (as in land not being gifted by government to Māori soldiers on their return from war), and so on.
• How did the Māori soldiers interact with the people of other countries, in particular, the Italians, for example, exchange/sharing of cultures when hosted by Italian whānau, sharing waiata/haka/dance, naming children after Italian place names, memorials to the Māori Battalion in Italy, food and recipes, stories told by Italians about the Māori Battalion, and singing of Italian waiata by Māori soldiers today.

Students are divided into five groups. Each group is given a copy of a letter written during the Second World War era. Students analyse the style of the letter and the language used. View the letters:

• Letter from Ben Rata to his parents
• Reverend Wharetini's letter to his wife

Students are allocated a perspective/viewpoint from which to write a war letter. The perspectives could include soldier, parent, partner/wife, sibling, and grandparent. The letter needs to include a date and location/address relevant to the Second World War, everyday happenings, and feelings such as fear, love, loss, grief, excitement, and so on.

Requirements

• Large pieces of paper and marker pens for students to record ideas
• Examples of letters written during the Second World War (see www.28maoribattalion.org.nz).
• Letter writing paper

Suggested extension activity

Each group uses the words in their letter as a basis to compose a song of love that reflects the feelings of loss and grief. Students create a minimum of two verses and a chorus and are encouraged to work out how this waiata could be sung with actions, to enhance the lyrics.