Tuesday, January 9, 2024: Day 337 – Living in the Future and Watching the Past

We spent the morning at the Auckland War Memorial Museum aka Auckland Museum. One thing that was interesting to me is that all wars are listed … even ones between Māori and Colonists … even wars between Māori tribes. I don’t recall ever learning that in the USA. I only know of Little Big Horn. In fact, weren’t the American Indians just defending their land??

The museum contains every museum that you can imagine: New Zealand history museum of two cultures, a Children’s Museum, natural history, etc. If you want to see it … it’s here.

This map explained how New Zealand was settled and where its inhabitants came from. It is hard to imagine that they located small islands but didn’t locate the large land mass of New Zealand until much later around the 1300’s. Strong currents and wind must have played a big part in the direction of the boat.

Te Rā is a Māori sail of major historical and cultural significance as it is the only remaining sail from their past. Modern weavers have been studying and documenting it. It was stored in the basement of the British Museum. Today it is on loan.

New Zealand is a small country. During WWI, they sent 100,000 men which was 10% of their population and one in five did not return. The loss of these lives was felt immediately and for generations.

This is a cross made from poppies. Poppies serve as a remembrance of sacrifice of war and hope for future peace. The significance of the poppy comes from the poem *In Flanders Field* written in WWI.

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

In the first week of April 1915, the Canadian troops were moved from their quiet sector to a bulge in the Allied line in front of the City of Ypres aka Flanders. This was the famed—or notorious—Ypres Salient, where the British and Allied line pushed into the German line in a concave bend.

This was the WWI “Battle of the Bulge”. Maybe this was unfinished business?!?