KALGOORLIE RSL REVOKES ANZAC HAKA

Maori Kaumatua (elder) Maihe Nikora has been living in Kalgoorlie for 15 years and has performed the haka at many ANZAC services but this year the Kalgoorlie RSL asked him to pass on a message to the Maori community.

“I was told today at the RSL, to ask all our Maori people not to perform the Haka after the Dawn Ceremony is finished,” Mr Nikora said.

“Every year we have participated thanks to the Elders that were here before us, they were all returned servicemen and they asked us to do the haka in remembrance to all the old fella’s who went to war.”

“They made certain that once the ceremony had finished - the sacred part - that they recited the New Zealand Maori ode and that’s been our participation after everything is finished and the parade has marched off.”

Mr Nikora went against the wishes of the Kalgoorlie RSL and performed the Haka by the cenotaph once the service ended on ANZAC day 2022. He did the haka to remember the soldiers who never returned home.

“In memory of Capt. Harry Danzey from Te Arawa and Capt. Pirini Tahiwi of Waikato who put the fear of God into the Turks. These two gentlemen led haka’s in the heat of battle at the top of the Turkish Dardanelles against the best of the Ottoman Empire.”

Mr Nikora went on to explain that the ANZAC'S held it for four days before the British High Command found out and ordered them off, sending 2,000 fresh British troops up there.

“Just over 200 of the original 500 ANZAC'S headed down to bathe in the sea and get some well-earned tucker and ANZAC biscuits.”

Meanwhile, the 2,000 strong British Contingent was wiped out in 2 hours.”

“The 1st Pioneer Maori Battalion was made up of the NZ rifles from Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch Mounted Rifles, all fought for freedom.

They had run out of bullets and grenades, so they resorted to the fighting style of their Maori ancestry of Taiaha and Patu.”

The Kalgoorlie RSL declined to comment.

Mr Nikora said the community of Kalgoorlie will write a letter to the President of the local RSL and remind them that it is Australia and New Zealand Army Corps and the traditions that were started in Gallipoli, the first world war, the second world war and every war in between. This generation of ANZAC’s carries the DNA of those ancestors who shed their blood sweat and tears upon those battlefields - those sacred sites."