The��country’s oldest war memorial will be removed from an historic Whanganui��reserve following objections to an inscription condemning upriver Māori for “fanaticism and barbarism”.��

Whanganui River iwi representatives say the language on the 158-year-old Weeping Woman monument is offensive and a blight on the history of Whanganui.��

Representatives also say the white marble statue supports “on-going racist stereotyping” and could cause intergenerational harm to tamariki and mokopuna of Whanganui River iwi.��

The monument was erected in 1865 on the banks of the Whanganui River at Pākaitore, an historic trading site, seasonal village and gathering place for Māori.��

Chairman Jay Rerekura of the Pākaitore Historic Reserve Board. Photo / NZ Herald��

It commemorates 15 Māori and one European killed in an 1864 battle with upriver Māori at Moutoa island, 80km from Whanganui.��

Europeans saw the incident as proof of loyalty by “friendly natives at Wanganui” defending the fledgling settlement against a taua (war party) from the upper reaches.��

Heading downriver, and intent on driving the settlers away, the taua was forced to retreat after fierce fighting, leaving behind at least 50 slain warriors, according to some accounts.��

Six weeks later, the Wellington Provincial Council resolved to erect a monument in recognition of “patriotic services”.��

In Sydney, Provincial Superintendent Dr Isaac Earl Featherstone purchased a generic sculpture of a weeping woman and installed it facing the river at Pākaitore on 26 December 1865.��

The controversial inscription reads: “To the memory of those brave men who fell at Moutoa 14 May 1864 in defence of law and order against fanaticism and barbarism”.��

Pākaitore Historic Reserve Board chairperson Jay Rerekura said the Reserve Board decided to remove the monument after a request by Whanganui iwi members.��

“For many of us, it’s quite an offensive piece of writing, especially because it’s sitting down here at Pākaitore, a place that’s special to us,” Rerekura told Local Democracy Reporting.��

“That inscription is in our face every time [we] come down to Pākaitore, a place that’s very important for uri all the way from the mountain to the sea.��

“The kōrero was around whether or not it’s something that we want to have out here for our mokopuna and other uri to see - potentially forever.”��

The petition to the Reserve Board was made by Dame Tariana Turia, kuia Retihiamatikei Cribb and Nancy Tuaine, the kaihautū/CEO of Ngā Tāngata Tiaki o Whanganui.��

It followed discussions at Whanganui marae and during this year’s annual 28 February commemoration of the 1995 occupation of Pākaitore, when Whanganui Māori occupied the council-controlled park for 79 days.��

Dame Tariana Turia submitted a petition to remove the Weeping Woman monument. Photo / NZ Herald��

“The kōrero to remove the statue has been around for some time,” Tuaine said. “Even back in the day during the occupation it was part of the conversation.��

“I was showing someone around recently and I took them to Pākaitore. They read the inscription and were shocked.��

“I thought, why are we allowing this to still be a representation of us as a community?”��

The issue was “workshopped” on Pākaitore Day in February and then put before the Whanganui kaumātua kaunihera (council of elders).��

Tuaine said some uri (descendants) called for the statue to remain as an aid to conversations about history but there was stronger support to have it moved elsewhere.��

The iwi agreed the Weeping Woman should be relocated rather than destroyed, but said education and context should be provided.��

“We just asked for it to be removed from Pākaitore,” Tuaine said.��

“It does recognise whānau who fell as a result of that battle. The majority of them were whanaunga of the upper and lower reaches of our awa.��

“What the monument is lacking is context. It describes a period of time where we still had people practising different faiths and beliefs across the length and breadth of the river.��

“This statue reflects one part of that story but doesn’t talk about the other part.��

“To say that the way we practised our values, traditions and beliefs was barbarism or fanaticism is just not okay and is just a symbol of colonisation.”��

Tuaine said the Taupo Quay waharoa (entrance) for pōwhiri and ceremony was also partly blocked by the Weeping Woman.��

Rerekura said the Reserve Board deliberated at length over the iwi request.��

“Ultimately, with combined representation from Whanganui District Council, iwi and the Crown, we were able to come to the decision.”��

The Reserve Board was established by the Minister of Conservation in 2002 to jointly manage the site.��

It followed an agreement signed a year earlier by the Crown, the Whanganui District Council and tangata whenua aimed at ending persistent iwi protests at Pākaitore, which had been renamed Moutoa Gardens by settlers in 1899.��

The agreement transferred control of the land from the council to a board made up of one Crown, three iwi and three district council representatives.��

No decision has been made on where to relocate the monument.��

* Disclosure: Nancy Tuaine is a board member of Awa FM. She took no part in commissioning or editing this story.��

Local Democracy Reporting is Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air��

- Local Democracy Reporting