Maori Group’s Entry In Competition Refused

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32384, 25 August 1970, Page 7

Maori Group’s Entry In Competition Refused

The Ngai Tuahuriri Maori Club, winner of the senior aggregate at the Waitaha (Canterbury) Maori cultural competitions last month, spent Sunday practising at the Kaiapoi Community Centre instead of competing in the Maori arts section of the Wellington Arts Festival.

After the results were announced last month, the Minister of Maori and Island Affairs (Mr Maclntyre) publicly invited both this group and the Te Kaihanga club, winner of the junior section, to attend the Wellington competition. The Ngai Tuahuriri club accepted by writing to Wellington for the competition rules and further practices began. No reply was received, so the leader (Mr J. Crofts), in Wellington on business, obtained the rules and an application form, which was returned with the entrance fee.

Travel arrangements were made because the competitions organiser (Mr W. ?arker) had advised that accommodation would be arranged, a bus provided and a subsidy of at least $lOO be granted towards travel expenses. On August 6, the secretary of the Wellington Competitions Society (Mr G. C. Booth) advised that the executive had decided that because the group included several school children, the performers did not qualify to compete. The competition was for senior clubs with a lower age limit of 16. A resolution expressing the Waitaha District Maori Cultural Council’s dismay

was sent to Wellington on August 11. Considerable embarrassment had been caused to the Ngai Tuahuriri people of Tuahiwi pa. North Canterbury, said the council. Travel arrangements worth $252 had been made. Included in the group were several local Kuamatua (elders) living at the pa who were perturbed that arrangements should have been allowed to continue without the rules being fully advised. The Maori and Island Affairs Department advised the Waitaha council on August 17 that a taped script of the minister’s invitation showed that it was “to send the winning team to compete in Wellington on August 22. You can send a composite team if you want to but there must be no more than 44 in each team. You will be met and all accommodation arranged and we will be able to give you some subsidy on fares. The clubs are mainly from the Wellington area and Hikurangi from the East Coast This is the invitation and I hope you will be able to come.” The Minister was passing on a message from the organiser (Mr Parker) and the subsidy was to come from the Wellington society, not the Minister, said the department

The Te Kaihanga group later told the Minister that it would like to go to Wellington but might have difficulties because of work. “Unlike the other clubs, Te Kaihanga comprises apprentices for whom we have some responsibility and the Minister asked if arrangements could be made for the boys and later approved a payment from the Civil List to assist with fares,” said the department The Ngai Tuahuriri group had planned to travel to Picton very early on Saturday morning and cross by boat but a telegram from Wellington on Wednesday, followed by a letter on Saturday, ended their hopes.

Mr Crofts said on Sunday that the Ngai Tuahuriri believed their children were an integral part of Maori culture and this was proved when they raised their standard to that of the adults when competing in the Waitaha competition. The group gained the highest number of points for the poi and the second highest for the song of the 13 competing groups in the whole three sections.

The group, representing nine families, including one pakeha family, had since given many entertainments in public and at a hospital. This was the pa’s first win although groups of mixed ages had competed previously. The Wellington competition entrance fee of three dollars had not been returned and it was not known what loss would be incurred because of late cancellation of travel arrangements. Mr Crofts said that on a previous occasion the Minister had said that more Maori clubs were needed. Their aim was to foster and uphold Maori culture, but his group was being penalised because it was trying to teach its children their own culture. As the Minister had extended the invitation, the group should have at least been allowed to attend as a guest group, said Mr Crofts.