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Ōhaeawai

from Aotearoa by Martin Andrews

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about

In 2017 I was driving through Northland when I noticed a beautiful old church on a hill. I turned around to get a closer look and was notified by a sign at the entrance gate that I was approaching St Michaels Church, formerly known as Ōhaeawai Pā and the site of the famous 1845 Ōhaeawai battle, where the invading British soldiers were defeated by Ngāpuhi rangatira Te Ruki Kawiti during the Northern War. Ōhaeawai Pā is considered to be the prototype of the modern fighting pā with double pallisades to protect from gun fire, and trenches to protect from shelling. After three days of both, the British stormed the Pā thinking it would be vulnerable but instead were cut down by gun fire from the barely touched warriors waiting within. Of the 250 men who stormed the Pā, 40 were killed and 70 wounded. The British retreated. The following day Kawiti abandoned the Pā, leaving the empty site for the British to claim. The dead British soldiers were buried in unmarked graves at the temporary British encampment before the camp moved on.
As impressive as the victory was/is, it wasn't what moved me to write this song, it was what happened 25 years later. In 1871, local Māori built a church on the site of the former Pā, dedicating it to peace and the pākeha who gave their lives that day, and on July 01 1872 a burial service was held and the 47 British soldiers were interred at the site to rest alongside the Māori who died during the battle. This is what then NZ Governor George Bowen spoke of above and what moved me to write this song. The humanity of this gesture, and forgiveness.
During this track we experience the battle from a British soldiers perspective who was among the wounded when he charged the Pā. 27 years later he returns to the site to bury his friends and cement new friendships with old enemies. He asks himself, "if these people, who bury my friends and reach out in peace, are not the enemy I believed, then who is to blame? I don't know anymore".

lyrics

On that day, the rain fell down
& carried our feet across the ground
We stood around
No one made a sound
We buried our friends in the ground
& I don’t know
Who’s to blame
Anymore

On that day, our guns rained down
Our feet were swift across the ground
The canon fall
Our bodies fell
I find myself lying in the ground
& I wondered
Who’s to blame
Anymore

Bridge:

First we charged
Then we fell to the ground
& we prayed
Now we laugh
& we all stand around
& we pray

On that day
The rain fell down
We buried our friendships in the ground
& I wonder
Who's to blame
Cause I don't know
Who to blame
Anymore

credits

from Aotearoa, released May 27, 2023

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Martin Andrews Wellington, New Zealand

Wellington (Te Whanganui-a-Tara), New Zealand (Aotearoa) based songwriter.

I will be adding one track to the album Aotearoa every Friday from May 26 - August 11. Follow the release of each track at my Facebook page. The full album will be available 11/08/2023. ... more

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