The History Group from the Ministry for Culture and Heritage invite you to come along to Te Wharenui/Te Wharapapa meeting rooms on the ground floor of Radio NZ House, 155 The Terrace, at 12.15pm on Wednesday 28 May to hear Dr Monty Soutar, Ngati Porou, Ngati Awa, speak about a soon to be published book:

'Nga Tama Toa - The Price of Citizenship - C Company, 28th Maori Battalion'

On behalf of the Nga Taonga a Nga Tama Toa Trust, this year Monty will publish a history of the Maori war effort in World War Two, based on the records of the tribes of Te Tairawhiti.

Through personal recollections, eye witness accounts and anecdotes, interwoven with official military reports, and highly illustrated with many images previously unpublished, the book tells the story of the Maori Battalion’s war on many different levels.

It also manages to capture the special spirit of the Maori Battalion, which became renowned not only for its dash and flair for the unorthodox, but also for its contribution in manpower to the war effort. It’s an amazing story – at times heart rending, at times heart warming – which allows the voices of those who were there to be heard on almost every page.

Monty Soutar is Director of Gisborne’s Tairawhiti Museum. He was previously a Fellow in Maori History at the Ministry for Culture and Heritage. He is a member of the National Archives Council and a Guardian of the Alexander Turnbull Library. He has significant experience in historical research, vast experience in dealing with Maori Land Court records and has worked widely with iwi and Maori communities. In 2002, Monty was appointed to the Waitangi Tribunal.

Enquiries to: lyn.belt@mch.govt.nz
www.mch.govt.nz/events.html

FOOTNOTE:

The book will be published by David Bateman Ltd. in October.