A delegation led by King Tuheitia and members of the New Zealand Olympic Committee travelled north of Paris to the French town of Arras to pay their respects to the fallen World War I New Zealand soldiers buried there. Retracing the footsteps of 43 members of the NZ Māori Pioneers, they visited the tunnels the men built under the city during the war.
In France for the Olympics, Kīngitanga spokesperson Ngira Simmonds said the trip was about upholding the Olympic spirit.
“Ko te ngako o ngā kēmu Orimipia ko te rangimarie me te kotahitanga o te ao, ā, nō reira anei tētahi wāhi kikokiko nei e whakakikokiko ana i te wā o te pakanga, i te wā kīhai tātou i noho ki te whakaaro kotahi (The essence of the Olympic Games is peace and uniting the world, so here is this place where we can see the impact of war when we are divided).
“Nō reira, mā te haerenga mai ki ēnei momo wāhi ka mohio ai tātou me ū ki te kotahitanga, me ū ki te rangimarie, ki te kore, anei te hua (So, by visiting these kinds of places we understand the importance of choosing unity, choosing peace, otherwise this is the outcome).”
For Ani-Piki Tuari, a member of Whāngārā Mai Tawhiti kapa haka, it’s a lot more personal.
Her great-grandfather Toi Karini was one of the 43 men of the battalion who served with the New Zealand Tunnelling Company to build the tunnel system under Arras. He was honoured with the French military award, the Croix De Guerre.
Fighting back tears after seeing his name etched within the walls of the tunnel, she describes what it means to feel the wairua and mauri of the tunnel system he helped to build.
“Kua rewa te ngākau te kite atu i tēnei me te mihi ki a ia me ngā tini tīpuna katoa (My heart is full seeing [the tunnels] and being able to mihi to him and the many who were here).
At the end of the day, that’s what the Olympics is about, said Sir Derek Lardelli, composer of the New Zealand Olympic team’s haka, Pou Tangata.
“Ko te kaupapa o te rongomau, o te rangimarie (It’s about peace and harmony).
“Tuatahi me haere ki ēnei wāhi nei ki te tuku te puna roimata, kia tau ai te mauri o tēnā iwi, o tēnā iwi, kia mōhio ai tātou he tangata noa tātou i tēnei ao (Firstly, we need to visit these places to pay our respects so that every person and people find peace, so that we know we are all just people.
“Tiakina tō tātou ao, me noho tahi tātou, whakaaro tahi ([We need to] look after the world, we need to live together [in harmony], united).”
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