Pacific cultures meet

Press, 23 October 1984, Page 2

Pacific cultures meet

PA Hamilton The heads of four Pacific cultures gathered at a hui at Ngaruawahia’s Turangawaewae Marae yesterday for the inaugural meeting of the Polynesian Heritage Trust. They included the Arikinui, Dame te Ata-i-Rangi-kaahu, the Maori Queen, the King of Tonga, Taufa’ahau Tupou IV, the Head of State of Samoa, Malietoa Tanumafili, and the Prime Minister of Fiji, Ratu Sir Kam-

isese Mara. Together with a Tai Tokerau (Northland) Maori elder, Sir James Henare, the leaders of the three island nations are the trustees of the trust, which will work towards preserving and promoting Polynesian cultures. One of the trust’s first big projects is a television series now being produced, called “The Polynesians.” A book will be published in conjunction with the series and, according to a spokesman the trust will

use money from the projects to finance further activities. The Minister of Transport, Mr Prebble, representing the Government, saw the wet weather during the hui as a good omen for the fledgling trust. “We are planting a seed and if you are planting a seed what you need is water, arid we have had some rain,” he said. “I believe this trust will be a seed that will grow to bear mighty fruit.”