“Derek Lardelli has provided the Maori designs for the book. Derek’s father also served in the Maori Pioneers.”
The book will be similar in size to Dr Soutar’s acclaimed book Nga Tama Toa — The Price of Citizenship, about C Company of the Maori Battalion.
Dr Soutar has spent four years researching and writing this latest book, which will be submitted to the publisher next week.
“It will take them eight months to convert the material into the finished product,” he said.
“The 400-page colour publication will be well worth waiting for. It will contain hundreds of photos, most of which have not been published before.
“Many of them are from private collections handed down through the generations, and often treated as jealously-guarded heirlooms by the soldiers’ descendants.”
Dr Soutar went to great pains to convince people to share the photos in the book.
“Being able to show them the finished result with Nga Tama Toa helped immensely.
“The book has taken me almost as long as the First World War lasted, and the research has taken me to France, Belgium, England and Turkey.”
While there was no more time to add to the text, there was still the opportunity to insert photographs.
“I set out to include photographs of as many Maori who served in the First World War as I could find.
“There are now over 700 individual portraits that people have given to me of Maori in uniform during the 1914 to 1919 period.”
Still accepting images for the bookImages can be sent to monty.soutar@mch.govt.nz
The book is part of a series of authoritative and accessible print histories on New Zealand and World War 1 produced jointly by Manatu Taonga, Massey University, the New Zealand Defence Force and the Royal New Zealand Returned and Services’ Association (RSA).
“The works in the First World War Centenary History Programme cover the major campaigns in Europe and the Middle East, New Zealanders’ contributions in the air and at sea, the experiences of soldiers at the front and civilians at home, the Maori war effort, and the war’s impact and legacy.”
With the WW1 manuscript completed, Dr Soutar, who is working with the research and publishing team at Manatu Taonga — Ministry for Culture and Heritage, has turned his attention to a history project called Te Tai Settlement Stories.
Along with other government agencies, the ministry, through Te Tai, is working with iwi to tell the stories of Treaty settlements and celebrate their positive impact.
Dr Soutar is leading the digital project.
“It is a huge undertaking as few New Zealanders know much about the Treaty or Treaty settlements, and many even question their validity.
“Yet settlements are becoming significant in shaping our identity, and central to the making of modern New Zealand.
“They are going to lead to significant changes in communities throughout the country.
“I am buoyed by the fact that the project has already gained traction with the new Government, and look forward to its launch in the new year.”
Dr Soutar said his next “personal” book would be about the history of Ngati Porou since colonisation.
“It will cover the past 200 years. This will be a separate venture from my other work but certainly is a work I have always wanted to do.”
Ngati Porou is the second largest iwi in the country.
“Its contribution to and influence in national Maori development is well documented and yet our writers have never captured this within our own historical record.”
Sir Apirana Ngata documented the iwi’s early history in his Nga Rauru-nui-a-Toi lectures but the history of the tribe’s last 200 years since its colonisation has never been published.
“If I can get this project started this year I will be very pleased.
“It may take a team effort, as was the case when we did Nga Tama Toa, but I think many of our people will agree it’s worth doing.”
