Innovation concepts can be used to promote different historical perspectives. In Peter Rachor’s lecture, I was asked how my research essay relates to some of the innovation concepts discussed. At the time, I had no idea what to say and said something vague and confusing about the importance of history. However, after a few weeks of reflection, I have thought more about Peter’s question and how ideas relating to my essay could create change. I have decided that adaptations to war memorials are one of the most feasible ways to show New Zealanders a new perspective of war.
My research essay looked at the way New Zealand commemorates different wars by comparing the New Zealand Wars to World War One. New Zealand tends to see World War One as their defining moment, despite the New Zealand Wars having a more significant impact economically, socially and structurally. I concluded that the significance of wars comes more from society’s interpretation of them than the actual events that took place. These ideas are reflected through the respective memorials to them.
Memorials are one of the most enduring forms of war commemoration as they are seen year-round. New Zealand seems to have many more visible memorials to ANZAC soldiers than those in the New Zealand Wars – one powerful example being the Hall of Memories. In many ways, this is unsurprising: New Zealand is more likely to celebrate a war which reflects well on them. For New Zealanders in the early 20th century, who saw World War One as their defining moment, it made sense to make these memorials the most frequent and visible.
Even when there are memorials to the New Zealand Wars, they rarely look at a Māori perspective. For example, any time I walk to campus, I pass a statue on Symonds Street commemorating “the brave… imperial and colonial forces and the friendly Maoris who gave their lives for the country during the New Zealand Wars.” This makes sense: as the cliche goes, history is written by the victors. It would have been odd if Pākehā had put up statues across the country commemorating the people they just fought against. However, as New Zealand becomes more multicultural it is necessary to recognise more perspectives and voices. There have been a number of innovative suggestions regarding new commemoration of the New Zealand Wars.
I certainly believe that some memorials, such as the one on Symonds Street, are offensive as they currently stand. However, they are still useful in giving an insight into the values of past New Zealanders. Instead of simply replacing them, I think they should be recontextualised with a description of when and why they were put up, and how they fit into New Zealand’s broader history and narrative. This would enable Māori and other marginalised groups to tell their stories while recognising how past generations viewed the war. At the same time, new memorials should be created to commemorate the significant losses Māori faced, not just in terms of deaths but also land and a way of life.
In order to understand current issues in New Zealand, it is necessary to look to the past. By showing various perspectives of history, New Zealanders can be exposed to a wider range of voices.
