A tikanga ceremony of rededication and remembrance was held at the Māori Pā in Gallipoli to “clear the space” as the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) soldiers assessed damage caused by last year’s scrub fires.
The Māori Pā, located near No. 1 Outpost on the Gallipoli Peninsula, was a defensive trench position occupied by the Māori Contingent during the 1915 campaign. It served not only as a strategic location but as a cultural place for the soldiers, who took their traditions and identity to the front lines.
The Māori Contingent leader to Gallipoli, Major John Cook (Ngāti Porou), reflected on the significance of returning to the site.
“Given that the location was burned out, we provide an opportunity to revisit the space and bring our people from home here through tikanga Māori, karanga, kaiārahi with rākau to clear the space and mihi to acknowledge those that have fallen here,” he said.
In 2024, large parts of the Gallipoli Peninsula were damaged by a wildfire believed to have been sparked by an electrical fault, according to Turkish authorities. Strong winds fuelled the blaze, which reached several historically significant areas, including cemeteries and memorials.
Major Cook, whose career in the New Zealand Army spans nearly three decades, said being on the whenua was “moving”.
“It’s hard to describe the feeling, but it’s definitely a feeling of the sacrifice of what occurred here and the purpose of why they were here. That was quite moving,” he said.
He kōiwi kua kitea
During this year’s Anzac commemorations in Gallipoli, the NZDF were made aware of human remains that had been exposed near the New Zealand Memorial at Chunuk Bair, likely due to the combination of fire damage and heavy rain.
The travelling contingent covered the remains, performed karakia, and played The Ode and The Last Post as a mark of respect.
New Zealand commemoration lead John McLeod said the small team was humbled to be able to honour the remains in a meaningful way.
“It was a very stark reminder of what Anzac Day commemorations in the area mean to those who acknowledge it,” he said.
Te riri i Karipori
I tae atu te ope Māori, whā rau whitu tekau mā whitu te rahi, ki te marae o te riri ki Karipori i te 3 o Hūrae 1915. Ko te wā tuatahi tēnei i tae atu tetahi ope Māori ki te pakanga i waho atu o Aotearoa.
No te wā i wehe ai te ope i te pakanga, ono tekau ngā toa i mahue iho ki muri, ko ērā atu i mate, i tūrorotia, i whakarērea nā te māuiuitanga.
E ai ki te Ope Kātua, i a ia ka titiro whakamua ki ngā kaupapa whakamānawa, kei te āta whakatikatika ngā wāhi whai mana i konei me te whainga iho kia pupuri tonu ki ngā tikanga o ngā wāhi i nohoia e ngā hōia, mātua rā ngā wāhi whai take nui mo te Māori pērā ki te Pā Māori, i tua atu o Chunuk Bair
