MAORIS CELEBRATE

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 264, 3 August 1933, Page 8

MAORIS CELEBRATE

Feasting, Dancing and Telling of Tales PICTURESQUE PROCESSION Dominion Special Service. Patea, August 2. Some 2000 people at Patea to-day witnessed the unveiling of the Turi Memorial. In brilliant sunshine, a long procession wended Its way from the Domain. The Maori portion was most picturesque. The men were garbed in handsome flax and feather cloaks and mats, and many girls were wearing garments made of karaka leaves.

Poi dances and hakas were given by representatives of numerous tribes descended from Turi and the people of the Aotea canoe, concluding with a magnificent and unique taiaha display. At the ceremony before the great memorial, brief speeches in Maori were given by leading Maori chiefs and by the chairman of the Native Trust Board, which was largely responsible for erecting the memorial. The unveiling ceremony was performed by the Minister of Internal Affairs, Hon. J. A. Young. Relics Presented. The mayor of Patea, Mr. Ramsbottom, received from Rima Whakarua for safe’ keeping, the historic picture by Messrs. Hay-Campbell and Haddon, pakeha and Maori artists also a number of Maori mats “presented by my people as Arawa to the great canoe." Two old paddles and an ancient boat pole were also presented. The Maori baskets worn by the poi dancers were distributed as souvenirs. Bullocks, sheep, potatoes, kumera and shark were cooked in the native style, and were 1 served to 500 Maoris. A great meeting of tribes was held in the morning, when a memorial tree to Turi was planted. Great bonfires were lit to-night and there was much feasting, dancing and recounting of old traditions. Message From Hon. J. G. Coates. The following message has been received from the Acting-Prime Minister, Hon. J. G. Coates: — “In sending greetings, I want to say how gratifying it is to observe the spirit of co-operation between the Maori and pakeha. Maori goodwill has long been established, but there remained some need for closer co-opera-tion and for greater appreciation one by the other of the qualities, difficulties, and aspirations of the two races which together form the nation. It is greatly to be desired that the history of the Maori should be preserved by written records and by other mean?, and it is interesting to link up, as is being done to-day, early Maori discovery and settlement of various parts of New 1 Zealand with colonisation by Europeans several hundred years later.”