Pipiwharauroa

28 (Māori) Battalion’s Battle Honours Memorial flag with Battle Honours fully displayed were recognised for the first time in 76 years at Muruika, Ohinemutu on Waitangi Day 2023

The 28 (Māori) Battalions Battle Honours Memorial flag with the Battalions 42 Campaign and Battle Honours were presented and recognised at Muruika, Ohinemutu on the 6 February 2023 for the first time in 76 years by Tā Robert Gillies, 28 (Māori) Battalion's hōia mōrehu.

The award of Campaign and Battle Honours is an acknowledgement by the Sovereign which recognises the presence of a Battalion and allows the Battalion to display its battle and military traditions but to date the 28 (Māori) Battalion’s Campaign and Battle Honours have never been publically displayed.

“This is 70 years too late,” said Tā Robert. “We were volunteers not conscripts and we fought for six long years, the whole Battalion

Tāngata Humāria

Charitable Trust aims to bridge the gap

Tāngata Humāria Charitable Trust (THCT) aims to bridge the gap between the Government’s priorities and the aspirations of whānau, hapū and iwi in Te Tairāwhiti. We have a central vision of thriving whānau in engaged communities.

Tāngata Humāria Charitable Trust has met with Minister Allan and had contact with Minister Wood regarding a bespoke by the people for the people Forestry Safety Campaign/Inquiry in Te Tairāwhiti, we requested support in 2021 and 2022.

Forestry in Te Tairāwhiti is prominent, but not always positive. One in four people in Tairāwhiti are dependent on a forestry income but we are paying the ultimate price of broken bodies, lost loved ones and environmental devastation.

The current forestry situation is bleak and lacks resilience. It indicates systemic issues from Government.

• Environmental destruction impacting our most vulnerable communities, irreversible damage to our whenua

• Abysmal death rates in forestry, Māori are 55% more likely to be injured or killed at work, that inequity has been growing consistently over successive years

• In Te Tairāwhiti Forestry has killed 13 local people in as many years

• Highly disengaged Workforce / Poor public perception of Industry

• Unstable Boom Bust Industry, income instability (Port Storage / Swells / Weather Events / Overseas Markets / Resourcing)

• Te Tairāwhiti is isolated, has extreme terrain, the local infrastructure is not coping agrees.” In displaying 28 (Māori) Battalions Campaign and Battle Honours for the first time Tā Roberts desire is that New Zealand Defence Force 28 (Māori) Battalion flag and the 28 (Māori) Battalion Battle Honours Memorial flag stand side by side as pou maumahara that acknowledge the parallel sacrifices of Tangata Tiriti and Tangata Tikanga Māori during World War II.

Tāngata Humāria Charitable Trust have regular contact with community/ whānau across social, cultural, environmental and economic challenges. We gather feedback and insights from our people. We aim to share these real-life experiences with government agencies to help shape policy development and initiatives that reach the core of the issues and facilitate meaningful change.

The crisis the indigenous people warned the western world would happen, has arrived. We are the Mokopuna they were trying to protect this from happening to. All the indigenous practices of safely and sustainably cultivating the lands and seas that weren’t adhered to, we are now paying the costs for, as will future generations. The realisation is a sad "I Told you so" moment.

Māori need seats at decision making tables to ensure we can nurture the People and Place, so she can sustain us all. The times we are living in are proof the western way does not work. The forestry owners see our tangata and our whenua as a cheap commodity able to be exploited to syphon profits off shore.

Forestry is dangerous by design and must stop severing our whakapapa lines. The pain shared by many whānau at the hands of the industry sends disturbing ripples impacting the fabric of our communities in all facets of daily life.

Following the Kawe Mate Taonga Tūpāpaku at Muruika Urupā Tā Bom will present the 28 (Māori) Battalion Battle Honours Memorial Flag at Waitangi on the 18th February and thereafter he will be leading a kawe mate to marae within the Kamupene C and Kamupene D rohe prior to returning the Taonga Tūpāpaku to Waitangi on ANZAC Day 2023.

The policies and procedures, systems, arbitrary time frames, bureaucracy, technocracy and unanswered questions binds these whānau together through their pain. We will not allow the perpetrators to pose as the saviours. Waiting in the industry to do the right thing has not worked, time for whānau, hapū, iwi to step into the role of Kaitiaki. Forestry’s social licence should be revoked.

Paper thin administrative controls and worker blame is no longer acceptable, the impact on the whenua is effecting us all. We will no longer accept the forestry industry receiving pitiful fines and tokenistic selfproclaimed “improvements” in practices.

We have waited years for the urgent changes from the Independent Forestry Safety Review to be implemented. We have no more fingers to count the acronym entities in place to foster forestry improvements FOA, FISC, FICA, FSC, PEFC.

We have Forestry Strategic Plans from MBIE, Worksafe, Safetree, Eastland Wood Council, Te Uru Rakau. None of these efforts are altering the outcome for Forestry whānau and communities. It is time for some upstream accountability, safety in design and meaningful change.

Now more than ever, we need to let the experts be the experts. The experts in this instance are kaimahi, whānau, hapū and iwi. Who better to establish, implement and monitor said change than the ones with the most to lose, and we don’t mean money.