"WEDDED TO WIDOW."

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 261, 4 November 1925, Page 17

"WEDDED TO WIDOW."

NOVEL MAORI CEREMONY. TH RANGIHIBOA'S ELECTION. HONE HEKE'S SUCCESSOR. The Maori elections of yesterday recall a_ occasion that is unique in Ma'jr. and political history. It is the sr.ory of the extraordinary manner in which Te Rangihiroa (Dr. Peter Buck, Director of liaori Hvgieae. Auckland) was elected to the House in 1909 as representative of the Northern Maori ciectcraie. In 1509 a by-election was held in the electorate, owing to the death of the sitting member, Hone Heke. He had been returned in the general election at the end of 190 S. and died in Wellington in February of zh» following year, before the House opened. He was a grandnephew of the famous Hone Heke, of Md'in war fame, and was one of the ablest of the younger generation of Maoris, being very popular not only with his own people, but with others throughout Xew Zealand. Back to Ancestors. According to Maori custom, it was incumbent upon the Maoris of the Wellington district, on Heke's death, to return the body of the deceased chief to his own people, where he could be buried in the sacred resting-place of his ancestors. He had been so esteemed that the highest chiefs and chieftainesses from Wairarapa, Wellington, and Wanganui, up to the Taranaki district, under the leadership of Sir James Carroll (Timi Kara i, took the corpse to Heke's native village of Kaikohe, where an historic ceremony was held. The people of the North Auckland peninsula were gathered there in force to receive their dead, and honour the visiting chiefs. After the obsequies the two burning questions before the North Auckland tribes were how to mark their appreciation of the Southern tribes in returning their dead, and the matter of selecting another man to represent them in Parliament. It was then that the mother of Hone Heke settled the two points in a manner that stands unique in the history of the Dominion. Heke's Widow. In a speech before the assembled chiefs she said that the seat in the House had been won by her son at the last election, and was his for three years. Owing to his death she regarded the seat as her son's widow, and the only way in which the tribes could show their appreciation of the kindness of the people of the southern end of the island was to marry her son's "widow" to one of them. "Therefore," she said, "let us hand over this seat in Parliament, which is ours, to the people of the South, and let Sir James Carroll, who represents the Maori people as a whole as Native Minister in the Cabinet, name a chief from the South who- will marry the widow of my son^" Timi Kara Decides. This was supported by the leading chiefs of the four tribes of the north. Sir James Carroll, with that imperturbable serenity which is so characteristic of him, thought over the matter for three days. Then, before the gathering which had been anxiously arwaiting his decision, he named a number of chiefs from the south who had ■ been aspirants for political honours, ; propriate bridegrooms —and then- with- ' drew the lot in favour of one of 'the : ' younger generation, whom, he considered, had the same thoughts, aspirations and ideals as their dead chief. "You have asked mc to give you a name." said Timi Kara. "I give you the name of Te Hangihiroa. It is for you to marry him to the widow of Hone Heke, or do as you please."' It is to the credit of the tribes of the north that, although ten candidates opposed Te Rangihiroa, the leading chiefs of the four tribes stuck to their plighted word and the chosen bridegroom was returned with an overwhelming majority. In , this by-elec-tion. Te Hangihiroa never made a single political speech on his own behalf, as he merely consented to be named in deference" to the wishes of the chiefs of the assembled tribes. Kindness Returned. At the end of the three years of his "marriage," - Dr. Peter Buck stood again for the seat, and this time, had to enter into the political fight with the other aspirants. He was returned with a grand majority. One of the best stories regarding his candidature has to do with an occasion on which, . while still the husband of Heke's widow, he was visiting his electorate. At a point some distance north, he was called upon, in a medical capacity, to attend to a huge Maori who. had been thrown from a vehicle and had his head split open. Dr. Buck, with an ordinary needle and some silk thread, stitched the head —very bald it was— and removed the stitches on hi? return journey. Later, when in the nrdst of hi 3 campaign for his second period in the House, the doctor was at a gumfield villa sre. where he addressed the Maoris. The chief, who sat with his hat on. in front of the gathering, seemed strand 1 v famHiar. At the end of the candidate's address, the chief rose, and said: "You. Te Rangihiroa. are the last of the candidates to address us. Others have been here and asked mc for <-heir vote but to all 1 have renlied. *Mv vote is for the man who stitched m" head.'" Removing hi' hat. the chief bent down, and d*splaved a bald head with n scar down its centre. At- that district. Dr. Buck received a block vote.