Indigenous+Service

Cultural warning: Aboriginal readers are advised that the names of deceased persons are used on this web-page.

Introduction
Indigenous people from Australia and New Zealand have served in the military in 20th and 21st century wars. There are also indigenous people serving in the military today. Visit the [|Aboriginal Anzac Day War Memorials page at Creative Spirits]to see where memorials to our indigenous soldiers are.

Australia
Visit [|Indigenous Australians at War] to find out about
 * [|how Aborigines were treated unfairly when they came back from World War 1]
 * [|Aboriginal Prisoners of War in World War 2]
 * [|Aboriginal soldiers today]. See some of the jobs they do [|here] (but you won't be able to view the YouTube videos at school).

Also scroll down to the Indigenous Australians section at [|The Australian Home Front.]

[|Click here] to see the rest of this prayer at Indigenous Australians at War. "Today we gather in the bush, in this special place To honour and remember the part played by the Aboriginal people and the Torres Strait Islanders in the wars for our nation".

When you have read the prayer, think about why there is a special prayer for Aboriginal soldiers.

Visit [|the ATSIVSA webpage] to see the logo of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Veterans and Services Association (ATSIVSA). What symbols have they used on the logo?

World War 1
[|Click here] to see the names of some of the 400 Aboriginal soldiers who served in WW1 from Ulladulla. Click on the names to find out more about them. What was the name of the family that sent a father and his three sons to the war? How many of them came home again?

Read the sad story of the two Gage brothers who served on the Western Front [|here.] What do you think might have happened to their farm after this?

Read [|the incredible story of William Punch] whose whole family was massacred in 1880 but he survived and enlisted to fight for Australia in WW1.

[|Click here]to see a list of indigenous soldiers who were at Gallipoli. Which state of Australia sent the most men? Why do you think that was?

[|Click here]to see the names of indigenous soldiers who were awarded medals in WW1.

Visit Indigenous Histories to find out about [|Marion Leane Smith], the only known indigenous nurse to serve in WW1. Also see [|the story of Oodgeroo Noonucal]poet and author. (We have some of her books in our school library). What job did she do in WW1?

World War 2
[|Visit the Indigenous page at Digger History] to find out about Aboriginal soldiers who served in WW2. Visit the [|Reg Saunders MBE] page to find out about the first Aboriginal to be commissioned as an officer. Which gallery would you go to at the Australian War Memorial to see his medals? [|Read about Flight Sergeant Len Waters], the only known Aboriginal fighter pilot to serve in World War Two. What was the name of his Kittyhawk fighter plane? [|Click here]to see the names of an indigenous soldier who was awarded a medal in WW2.

Vietnam
What terrible accident happened to [|Corporal Ron Harris] when he was serving in Vietnam?

The South African (Boer) War (1899-1902)
Maori people did not serve in the South African war, but they did support it at home. [|Click here] to see Ngāpuhi nurses dressed up in uniforms in 1901 to collect funds for the war.

World War 1 (1914-1918)
336 Maori soldiers were killed on the Western Front in World War 1. [|Click here] to see the 1918 Pioneer Battalion from New Zealand.

Also visit the Indigenous War Service page for more information and activities.

Sources: http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/the-new-zealanders/media [] [] [] []