The Queen's cousin, Prince Richard the Duke of Gloucester, has expressed delight at the handing back of a waka paddle that belonged to renowned Maori chief Hori Ngatai of Tauranga.
The Queen's cousin, Prince Richard the Duke of Gloucester, has expressed delight at the handing back of a waka paddle that belonged to renowned Maori chief Hori Ngatai of Tauranga.
A letter from London's Kensington Palace was read out during the handing-back ceremony yesterday of the paddle that Hori gave to young English army officer, Alfred Woodward, 150 years ago.
The ceremony on Hori's home marae, Whareroa at Mt Maunganui, featured Alfred's great-great-nephew Mark Goodman relinquishing ownership of the paddle, or hoe.
Mr Goodman surprised everyone when he produced the letter from the Duke, the Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Anglian Regiment which succeeded the 12th Regiment of Foot that Alfred Woodward had served with for five years from 1862.
The prince said he was delighted the descendants of Hori Ngatai and the family of Lieutenant Woodward were re-establishing a connection for the first time since the friendship was forged between the two men while Alfred was stationed in Tauranga from 1866-67.
Alfred Woodward as a student at the public school Radley College in 1859. PHOTO/SUPPLED
"I was so very interested to hear the story of the hoe," the duke said, describing the paddle as a symbol of gratitude and goodwill 150 years ago.
"They were both men of principle and courage who were prepared to fight for what they believed in. Yet fundamentally both were clearly men of peace who shared many values," he said.
Prince Richard noted how Hori had lived a long and distinguished life as chief of Ngai Te Rangi, committed to maintaining his tribe's ancestral rights and to promote understanding between Maori and Pakeha.
"Sadly Alfred Woodward died on his passage home, just past his 24th birthday, and the stories he might have told of the gift of the hoe were lost.
"The return of the hoe to Ngai Te Rangi today is a wonderful opportunity to establish new friendships and exchange stories of a shared history."
Ngai Te Rangi chief and great grandson of Hori, Kihi Ngatai, led the speakers after the challenge by Maori warriors had concluded and the great granddaughter of Hori, Kura Benton, had welcomed members of the extended Woodward family and distinguished guests on to the marae.
After Mr Goodman had laid the hoe on a traditional mat, Mr Ngatai thanked him for bringing it back. Kaumatua Waka Taite then acknowledged the hoe and the people who had arrived and those who had passed on, leading to kaumatua Hauata Palmer acknowledging the visitors.
The paddle's original owner, Ngai Te Rangi chief Hori Ngatai (1832-1912) PHOTO/ALEXANDER TURNBULL LIBRARY
Mr Goodman spoke about the long journey that had finally seen the hoe return to Tauranga, after many years lying in his grandparents' attic. Unearthing the story only began 18 months ago when he was researching another member of his family killed in World War I.
He said Alfred and Hori had been different in terms of their cultures and age, but in many ways were similar through their military experiences and thoughtfulness, seeking the common good.
"Both were clearly men of peace. How they established a relationship clearly has lessons for today in terms of reconciliation and seeking out the positive, the similarities rather than the differences. It is wonderful to re-establish contact between the family of Alfred Woodward and the family of Hori Ngatai."
Another speaker, Te Papa's head of Maori Affairs Dr Arapata Hakiwai, explained how the museum's experience in moving taonga around the world was used to help Mr Goodman bring the paddle home. "It was more than a great story, it was a great thing to do," he said.
British High Commissioner Jonathan Sinclair said people-to-people events like the handing-back were the ties that were the strongest and underpinned the relationship between the UK and New Zealand.
The Goodmans were gifted a replica of Hori's taiaha.
