Support for Chinese Kiwis Heritage Bid

Race Relations Commissioner supports Chinese Kiwis heritage bid

The Human Rights Commission says people wanting to turn a shipwreck into a money making venture should have talked with Chinese Kiwi leaders and families first.

“The SS Ventnor is a burial ground, the final resting place of 500 men. Ever since this site was discovered, Chinese Kiwis have been returning to honour their ancestors during the festival of Qingming: this is much more than a mere shipwreck,” says Race Relations Commissioner Dame Susan Devoy.

“The voices of Chinese New Zealanders – many of whom are descended from men whose remains are still with the wreck of the SS Ventnor – are missing amid very public plans to turn their final resting place into a tourism venture.”

The SS Ventnor sunk in 1902 with the remains of 499 men on board. Most went down with the ship however some remains washed ashore where local Te Roroa and Te Rarawa people recovered their bodies, prayed over them and buried them alongside their own loved ones in ancestral burial grounds. Last year the descendents of both peoples gathered in the remote Hokianga to unveil special memorials honouring both sets of ancestors.

“This incredible story is a touchstone for race relations, dignity and mana and is one we should all be proud of. I would like to support the statements made by the NZ Chinese Association and the Poon Fah Association for the site to be protected,” said Dame Susan.

“Just as we would never consider turning Pike River into a tourist attraction, so too should we respect the men of the SS Ventnor and their descendents and communities. The SS Ventnor is site of significance for all New Zealanders.”

ENDS

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