#11: Angela Wanhalla & Erica Newman - Māori on the Home Front: Resilience, Rangatiratanga, and Wartime Mobilisation

In this episode of Weaving Our Worlds, Melanie sits down with historians Angela Wanhalla and Erica Newman to delve into the untold stories behind the recent dual publications, Te Hau Kāinga: The Māori Home Front During the Second World War and Raupanga, a companion volume in te reo Māori. Together, these books explore the experience of Māori on the home front during World War II, revealing a rich tapestry of community resilience, cultural endurance, and the complexities of Māori service.

Angela and Erica share personal insights from the book’s development, including the unique contributions of Māori women in the workforce and Māori War Effort Organisation committees that helped mobilise Māori communities for the war. They discuss how Māori contributions went well beyond the battlefield, encompassing community-driven agricultural production and other contributions to the nation’s war efforts, while maintaining a distinctively Māori social philosophy that emphasised collective wellbeing and rangatiratanga. 

This conversation offers listeners a fascinating perspective on the Māori experience of World War II, demonstrating how wartime shaped both Māori communities and their relationship with the Crown, laying foundations for ongoing discussions about identity, sovereignty, and the balance of kāwanatanga with rangatiratanga. Join us for an episode that interweaves historical scholarship with personal and community reflections, celebrating the resilience of Māori throughout a transformative period in New Zealand's history.

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Resources:  

https://aucklanduniversitypress.co.nz/te-hau-kainga/