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Old 18-06-17, 01:03 AM
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atillathenunns atillathenunns is offline
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Location: Wellington, New Zealand
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pukman View Post
Being part of the website kiamatetoa.com ,I have never found who designed the 8th Southland company badge .And why Southland ,being the least populated Maori province ,chose a Maori warrior as its emblem .Some questions I would like answered
Puk I am not surprised you have drawn a blank on the designer of the 8th Southland badge, but the choice of why a Maori warrior was chosen, I believe you need to look at your local Maori history.
I can think of two great Southland Maori Chiefs that the badge may have been modelled on, Te Whakataupuka who fought off Te Rauparaha’s invasion of the upper South Island, and Tūhawaiki who killed Te Rauparaha’s ally Te Pūoho at Tuturau who led a war party to the South in 1836.
I am leaning toward Tūhawaiki who was considered as the “most powerful chief in the south” and went on to sign the Treaty of Waitangi in June 1840.

I will be honest, I have never visited the kiamatetoa.com website before, but it is interesting that a website that “provides key information for families, students and historians” has the translation of “Kia Mate Toa: Fight Unto Death”
It seems that John and I are both convinced that the translation is Die Bravely and not Fight Unto Death.

Perhaps a fourth translation “Brave to the Death “on the following post card (which is another literal translation of Die Game) is another nail in the coffin for “Fight Unto Death.”

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