MAORI WOMAN’S SKELETON

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22416, 1 June 1938, Page 12

MAORI WOMAN’S SKELETON

PROBABLY FROM GRAVE OF TE RONGA START OF WAIRAU MASSACRE RECALLED HUB PRESS Special Service.) BLENHEIM, May 31. According to statements made yesterday by descendants of Te Ronga, the Maori woman whose death from a British bullet led to the Wairau massacre, it appears practically certain that the remains found near Massacre Hill last week by Main Highways Board workmen are those of Te Ronga.

Maoris living at Wairau Pa claim relationship with Te Ronga, and one. Here Herangi, said that his eldest brother, Graham Herangi, who died 30 years ago at the age of 80, told him how Te Ronga was buried at Massacre Hill, and how it was intended to remove the body, probably to the North Island, for burial. This was a plan, however, which was prevented by the trouble which arose immediately after the massacre.

- The burial place had never been disturbed until it was accidentally discovered last week, but its locality has been known and kept a close secret. In fact, probably not more than one or two persons living today actually had knowji of the burial place, to the knowledge of those people. It seems that no other Maori woman was buried at the locality. It is understood that a claim to the remains of Te Ronga have been made by- some of the descendants and the bones will be buried later at a Maori burial place near Wairau Pa.