Pride replaces shame as pacifism celebrated

Nga Ra o Hune (The Days of June) , a documentary by Rotorua film-maker Kirsty Babington, explores a family's journey to find out more on Te Rauangaanga (pictured) who was one of 111 men arrested for not complying with conscription demands. Photo / Supplied

Maori arrested for taking a pacifist stance during World War I is the story behind a documentary by a Rotorua film-maker.

Nga Ra o Hune (The Days of June) is directed by Kirsty Babington and will screen on Maori Television during its all-day Anzac Day coverage on April 25.

It traces the journey of Ngaruawahia High School teacher Te Arohanui Mangu in her quest to find out more about her grandfather, Te Rauangaanga, who was one of 111 men arrested after failing to comply with conscription demands. They were forcibly taken from their homes to be detained at Narrowneck Military Camp in Auckland.

Ms Babington said military records on the objectors were hard to find and this was an opportunity to find out more both for and from the descendants of the incarcerated men.

"It was a real honour and we were fortunate enough to interview the daughter and son of two different resistance objectors.

"Just to put them back into the space of what their parents had gone through was really quite emotional.

"They [the men] were under immense pressure, from not only mainstream society, but also other iwi that did go to war. When the initial call for volunteers was made, a lot of iwi came forward, including Te Arawa, and as the war rolled on and the casualties got higher, it was clear the war wasn't going to end anytime soon and there was pressure on iwi. In 1917, it was clear Waikato wasn't going to volunteer and that's when they imposed conscription," Ms Babington said.

"A lot of the whanau hadn't been to the place they were arrested before, or Auckland where they were imprisoned, so it was a bit of a journey for them. One of the descendants in particular said it wasn't until he was in his 20s and didn't know the reasons, that he was ashamed his tipuna didn't go to war. To find out the story, it helped him realise that his tipuna was really, really brave, in light of all that societal pressure, he was brave to have stuck to his principles and kaupapa."

Waikato University's Tom Roa, who features in the documentary, said the tribe was still reeling from the land confiscations of 1863.

"Why would these people, or descendants of these people, want to fight for an empire who only 50 years earlier had killed their people and taken their land?"

The hour-long documentary will screen at 11am on Anzac Day on Maori Television.