MAORI ELDERS

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29389, 16 December 1960, Page 19

MAORI ELDERS

S.I. Hospitality Praised

The 100 or so Maori elders who had come to Christchurch for the opening of the Rehua meetinghouse a fortnight ago had been impressed most of all by the friendliness and courtesy they had received from pakeha residents. Dr. Roger Duff, Director of the Canterbury Museum, told the museum trust board at its meeting yesterday. “I believe this was a new experience for them,” he said.

When the elders, who were “the most eminent group of Maori people to come to the South Island in our time,” visited the Pacific Hall of the Museum, the women “broke into a spontaneous char, of greeting to the ancestors, whose treasures were displayed there.” Dr. Duff said. This indicated, he thought, the Maoris* recognition of the great deal done by the museum, in company with other New Zealand museums, to incease the Maoris’ pride in their ancestors and in improving the relations between Maoris and Europeans.

manded a division, when Crs. Green, Reynolds, Blank, and Adcock voted for the application, and Crs. Wagner, Austin, Cassidy and Rice against. Cr. Austin (to the chairman): Did you vote for it? The chairman: I did.

Five members of the public, including Mr R. B. Shand, who has been active in organising the petition against the application, were present to hear the council’s debate, and left immediately after