Greenstone memorial blessed

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 12, Issue 579, 28 March 1995, Page 7

Greenstone memorial blessed

By

Michele

Monaghan

A deeply moving and spiritual dawn blessing took place on Friday at the Army Museum in Waiouru, the blessing of Roimata Pounamu - Tears on Greenstone. The wall commemorates 33,000 New Zealand service men and women who died during the fight for freedom. Members of Ngati Tuwharetoa, Ngati Rangi and Ngati Tumatauenga joined together as one people to be led by Army chaplains Bill Gray and Sherri Weinberg from the dawn outside into the greenstone wall. Karanga (call, summon) rang out, reverberating around the circular structure, sounding eerily hollow in the quiet of the morning. The intonation of the roll began and out of the silence one woman spontaneously accompanied the first name with karanga. The thin veil of water began to fall over the greenstone symbolising tears, cleansing and healing. The wall was complete physically and spiritually. Roimata Pounamu was ready to take its place amongst other great memorials. "The wall gi ves us a focus now which will be a uniquely New Zealand equivalent of the Hall of Memories at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra or the Vietnam

Wall in Washington DC," said Major-General Ron Hassett, executive trustee of the Museum trust. . "For the first time ever we have a national monument, where every 15 days each individual service man or woman who died will be remembered." Greenstone or pounamu was chosen for the memorial because of its special significance to both Pakeha and Maori. It represents life, death a'nd environment. The wall is distinctly New Zealand and is a treasure to be passed down from generation to generation.