At dawn, on ANZAC Day in Waitohi/Picton, we stood together in remembrance.

Supported by whānau present, Kereana Norton laid a wreath on behalf of Rangitāne o Wairau at the cenotaph as part of the main ANZAC Service.

Following the main service, our whānau gathered again on the foreshore at the pou whenua dedicated to the 28th Māori Battalion. Whānau were called on by kaikaranga from Te Ātiawa.

We remember all of our servicemen and women - those of the 28th Māori Battalion, those who have served across generations, and especially those who are our own whānau. Their service and sacrifice sit at the heart of who we are, carried forward through whakapapa and memory.

At the pou, wreaths were laid and names were read. Corey Hebberd laid a wreath on behalf of Rangitāne o Wairau, and shared kōrero of his great-grandfather, Nugget McDonald - a reminder of the personal stories that sit behind every name, and the enduring impact of service across generations.

Our thanks to Paora Mackie and Uncle Ron Riwaka for leading our proceedings with karakia and the call of the pūtātara, setting the tone for a moving ceremony, amidst the cool, misty and beautiful Waitohi morning.

We also acknowledge Rachel Hāte and Teish O’Connell from Te Ātiawa for leading the morning events and holding space for whānau to come together and acknowledge the occasion.

We acknowledge Will Macdonald for his reading of the names of our 28th Māori Battalion soldiers, whose names are inscribed on the pou - a moment that grounded us all, hearing the names of those who have served.

We also acknowledge Liz McElhinney for laying a wreath in Blenheim, and Uncle Lawrence McDonald for his work behind the scenes in helping bring these moments together.

Today was about remembrance, but also about connection - between iwi, between generations, and between the past and the present.

Ka maumahara tonu tātou ki a rātou.