The Wai 2500 Military Veterans Kaupapa Inquiry

**Wai 1501 claimant and Vietnam Veteran Miki Apiti gives the opening karakia at the Auckland War Memorial Museum dawn service in 2018.credit: RNZ.**

Te Mata Law represents several claimants who have made claims in the Wai 2500 Military Veterans Kaupapa Inquiry.

This Inquiry focuses on military service directly undertaken on behalf of the Crown by Māori. Te Mata Law represents the following claims:

Wai 1501, a claim by Miki Apiti and others;

Wai 1864, a claim by Mike Pehi;

Wai 2250 a claim by Rulon Kahuroa;

Wai 1344 a claim filed by Turi Stone, the late Archbishop Brown Turei and Nolan Raihania.

These claims collectively address significant issues traversing wars starting with the First World War, in particular the issue concerning Victor Spencer, the only Māori soldier executed by the Crown during that War. The accusation here is that the Crown was well aware of the effects of what is more commonly known today as ‘shell shock’, but despite this, the Crown did not adequately prepare soldiers for it, nor did they adequately rehabilitate them once they were suffering from it. Victor Spencer who was suffering from shell shock received no help from the Crown and his superior officers recommended that he be executed for deserting his post despite the fact he had been hospitalised for shellshock.

The Wai 1344 claim raises several issues but of note is the allegation in respect of the 28th (Māori) Battalion and the Crown failure to present their World War 2 medals, a kaupapa that Te Mata Law is actively working with the Crown to remedy and mitigate in a project called ‘Project Whakatika’, meaning to ‘make right’.

The Wai 1501, 2250 and 1864 claims all raise different issues concerning the Vietnam conflict including agent orange and the intergenerational health impacts on their families.

**Victor Spencer: the only Māori soldier executed in the First World War and the subject of the Wai 1344 claim.**

Koro Nolan Raihania was one of the last remaining Māori Battalion soldiers from C Company. His evidence focused on the period leading up to being sent to the Second World War and what it was like upon his return. His evidence speaks of soldiers who never really knew what they were walking into when they went to war. To quote him he said, ‘we thought it was like Cowboys and Indians, but we soon found out that the Indians shot back!’. He also speaks about the inequality that Māori soldiers faced upon their return from war in terms of land allocated under the Soldier Rehabilitation Schemes.

Archbishop Brown Turei’s evidence speaks to two issues; the issue of wairuatanga or spirituality and the racism that he felt “from the moment we got off the boat”. His evidence also tells of the pact that he made with God and how Sir Apirana Ngata said to him and his parents that if he wanted to know God better, he had to see life and death for himself. So despite being underaged, Brown was sent to war and upon his return he became a priest. It is interesting to note that a rather large contingent of Maori Battalion soldiers went on to serve in the Church either as Priests or kaikarakia.

Read the Wai 1344 Statement of Claim here.

Read an article about the life of Victor Spencer here.

Read our blog post about 'Project Whakatika' and the War Medals kaupapa here.

Read the Wai 1501 Statement of Claim here.

Read the brief of evidence of Miki Apiti about his service in Vietnam here.

Read the Wai 2250 Statement of claim here.

Read the brief of evidence of Turi Pohatu Stone about the Price of Citizenship here.

Briefs of Evidence from the Wai 2500 Military Veterans Claims:
Tamati Hindmarsh
Desma Ratima
Taroi Black
Wiremu Bill Gray
Broughton Tomlins
Teddy Toroa
Whirimako Black
Chiquita Pohatu
Temple Isaacs
Paratene Kohere
Tom Wilson
William Bill Whaitiri