MAORI PILGRIMAGE

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21678, 11 January 1936, Page 9

MAORI PILGRIMAGE

ANCIENT CAMPING GROUND ON WAITAKI RIVER (BPICIAL TO THU PBIIS.i TEMUKA, January 10. Members of the Arowhenua women’s Institute, together with others interested in the early native history of Nfew Zealand, made a pilgrimage yesterday to the mouth of the Waitaki river as arranged by Mr H, McCully. Of Peel Forest. The ground inspected by the party, which was led by Mr McCully, was the old camping locality of the moa hunters oi centuries afio. Those who accompanied the party were Mr N. Waaka (chairman of the Arowhenua Runanga), Mrs P. Mei* hana (West Coast);: Mrs P. Paipeta (president of the institute), Mrs E. Gillum (secretary), Mrs P. H. Woodhouse (Bluecliffs). and Mr A. Hornsey, a collector of Maori relics.

The party first visited the property of Mr J. B. Chapman, which is near a native settlement of the ’sixties and embraces the original habitation of the ancient hunters. Mr Mltai Tuture, one of the party, was born there and now lives at Arowhenua. The sole occupant of the settlement now is Mrs Mere Matenga, who has lived there all her life. In the 'sixties those natives who were evicted from .Omarama settled at this place, which was named Korotuaheka. but Some years l&tet- they left for Moer&ki, Morven, Kaiapoi, and Temuka. The party was received by Mrs Matenga, in true Maori custom. Sod hutments, the church, and the meeting-house, were evidences of early settlement. The migration to this settlement was the last combined stand of the natives against the white man. The centre of the moa hunters’ camp contains the remains of many who died and each grave is marked bv a fencing standard.

During the visit of the expedition, Mr McCully gave much information which he had obtained by a thorough investigation of the area on many previous occasions. Everything pointed to Waitaki having been a seasonal camp, he said. It seemed probable that game like the moa was taken by the use of snares and the birds transported down the river by canoes. It was a significant fact that at Waitaki there was no evidence of warlike weapons and no human remains in the middens, which gave rise to the belief that these ancient people were of a peaceful nature.