This cartoon by William Blomfield, 'The spirit of his fathers', appeared in the Christmas issue of the New Zealand Observer in 1915. The image reflects the good reputation the Māori Contingent built up by their actions at Gallipoli – and evokes the Māori belief that tīpuna (ancestors) guide the actions of their descendants. Tribes who had been allies of the Crown in the past, such as Te Arawa, Ngāti Porou and Ngāpuhi, were most inclined to volunteer for the war. Tribes that had fought the Crown and suffered land confiscation, such as the Taranaki, Tainui and Tūhoe peoples, produced few volunteers.
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Alexander Turnbull Library
Reference:
A-312-1-088
Cartoon by William Blomfield
Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.
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