Hei āpōpō whakamānawatia ai te kotahi rau tau nō te hokinga mai o ngā hōia o Te Hokowhitu a Tū i te pakanga tuatahi o te ao. Kua whakaritea e Tākuta Monty Soutar tētahi ope whakahōnore, ā, ka takahi rangatū rātau i te ara hei tohu i te hīkoi i hīkoitia ai e ō rātau tīpuna i te hokitanga mai ki te wā kāinga.
He ako i te tū ā te hōia, te titiro a ngā kanohi, te mau pū, me te takahi a ngā waewae anō hoki.
Ko tā Tākuta Monty Soutar, “Ka hoki ngā whakaaro ki te ope o te Hokowhitu a Tū, tērā pea ka kitea i roto i tēnei rōpū te āhua o ō rātau koroua.”
Hei tā Eparima Soutar, “Ko tōku tipuna ko Rota Waipara, i te taha o tōku māmā, i haere ia i whawhai ki korā ā i hoki mai ia, ko tērā te take kei te mahi au i tēnei mahi.”
Ko tēnei te wā tuatahi e mau pū ai ētahi o ngā rangatahi nei, arā kia pērā tonu me o rātau tipuna koroua i haere ki te pakanga.
“You’re on point, from this point on.” Dr Monty Soutar prepares the 100 man honour guard volunteers for the Hui Aroha...
Posted by Te Kuru Dewes on Thursday, June 6, 2019
He whakamahara atu ki ngā hōia 300 i hoki mai ki te Hui Aroha i Tūranga, arā he hōia nō Ngāti Porou, nō ngā iwi ō Tūranga, nō Kahungunu, nō Te Whānau-a-Apanui, nō Tūwharetoa, nō Tūhoe, me ētahi o ngā iwi o Mātaatua.
“Ko te nuinga kua kutikuti i ngā makawe, ko wētahi kāre anō, engari kei te pai, mā mātau e kutikuti i tēnei rā. Rite te āhua... te nuinga he Māori engari wētahi he Pasifika, ko wētahi anō he Pākehā, ka pērā anō te ope Pionia”, te kī a Monty Soutar.
Āpōpō kawea atu ai ngā tohu Wikitōria a Te Moana Nui a Kiwa Ngārimu VC rāua ko Willie Apiata VC.
“Ko ngā Paionia, ngā Māori i haere ki te pakanga tuatahi, he pāpā koroua ki a Te Moana Nui a Kiwa Ngārimu, ka pērā anō a Willie nā reira he hononga ki tēnei kaupapa wērā tohu rīpeka wikitōria”, te kī a Monty Soutar.
Hei kīnaki atu ko te whakarewatanga ake o te pukapuka a Dr Monty Soutar arā ko 'Whītiki! Whiti! Whiti E! Ngā Māori i te pakanga tuatahi o te ao'.