In some respects the closure of the 28th Māori Battalion Association is analogous with the return of the Māori Battalion at the end of the Second World War.

The Battalion ended its existence in Wellington at Pipitea, it was treated to a formal reception that was attended by iwi representatives from all over the country, and the government of the day both supported and attended the occasion.

They were dismissed as a Battalion and also, a tohunga recited a chant in the ritual of muru tapu. The ritual was performed to help return the soldier to the status of peaceful citizen; dissolving the distinction between warrior and ordinary citizen.

The messages conveyed on that occasion are equally relevant in 2012, especially as the few remaining veterans and their descendants look to a future without the formal existence of the association.

The words of Lt-Col James Henare in his final address to his men resonate today.

“Hoki atu ki o tatau iwi, hoki atu ki o tatau maunga, hoki atu ki o tatau marae. Engari kia mau ki tenei korero—tu Māori mai, tu Māori mai, tu Māori mai.

Go back to our people, go back to our mountains, go back to our marae. But cling to this command—stand as Māori, stand as Māori, stand as Māori.”

Every man in the battalion bequeaths a powerful personal inheritance.

Their individual stories will continue to flourish among their descendants. They are the stuff of legend, yet the achievements of yesteryear remain just as relevant and valid for Māori today.

The story of the Māori Battalion has secured a special place in the history of this country and in the hearts of New Zealanders. It led to a watershed in the relationship between Māori and Pākehā that was forged both at the battlefront and after the return home.