A VITAL ESSENTIAL

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 77, 1 April 1933, Page 12

A VITAL ESSENTIAL

FOR MAORI REHABILITATION

CARVED MEETING HOUSES

(By Telegraph.) (Special to "The Evening Post.") OPONONI (Auckland), March 31. That adequate provision for carved meeting houses is a vital essential to any plan for the rehabilitation of the Native race was a point emphasised by the Minister of Native. Affairs (Sir! Apirana Ngata); -when replying to a Maori welcome at Panguru this afternoon. ; ■ The Minister said that the people of, the Hokianga district were well advanced in their preparations for '; the erection of their meeting houses 'at Panguru and Waimg, respectively. Already about 60,000 Ifee* of timber had be'en felled for the purpose, and this was now available for the carvers-! and carpenters. The cost of each meeting house would not be less than between £750 and £BQO, but against that it had to be recognised that no real progress could be made until the Maori'had restored to him the selfrespect and prestige which was handed down to him by his forefathers. There must be facilities for meetings and ceremonials. "In short," said Sir Apirana, "you must put back the mana of the Maori. iThe only outward rocogniscd symbol is the meeting ground in front of the central meeting house. There you can restoro tho ceremonies which were a part of the Native culture of the northern Maoris of Hokianga and Bay of Islands." Out of thoir resources, which comprised untold quantities of, timber and physical ability, the people of Panguru and Waivna had combined to restore the chief exterior symbol of the mana of the Maori people of Hokianga. "These meeting houses must have a place in the Maori development scheme," added the Minister. "We will not find any of the money from the fund to help the construction, but we certainly want something from the cream cheques. Whenever you are ready to lay the foundation-stone here you will have me in attendance." (Applause.) '