EARLY MAORI' RECORDS

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 119, 16 November 1936, Page 8

EARLY MAORI' RECORDS

(To the Editor.)

Sir—A great deal has been written from time to time about the early settlement of Wellington and surrounding districts, but mostly the exploits of those Who have made history as far as the pakeha is concerned have been j commemorated. What I would like to j ask you, Sir, is what has been done to commemorate for future generations the part played by those loyal chiefs and their people who welcomed the first settlers to Port Nicholson? As a resident of Petone from 1881 till 1918, I have known the Te Puni family well, but have not been able to get any authentic information of the history of this tribe and'the part they played with regard to early settlement. I understand there is in the Native cemetery at Petone beach a monument erected to the memory of Henri Te Puni by the late Queen Victoria for his loyalty. Is this the chief who met the first settlers who landed on Petone beach? If so, what records, if any, have the Petone citizens of the events of that time, and what has been done lo have a monument erected setting forth the part played by Chief Te Puni? The early history of settlement, in New Zealand has unfortunately been marred by conflicts with the Natives which, in many cases, could have been ■avoided, bii-t vafc.--t.he*jK*m9Jtime.-. these!

conflicts have brought out the splendid qualities of our Native people under very trying circumstances, and for this reason I arri anxious to see something done, f should suggest to the citizens of Petone that some movement be started at once to place on record the part played by our Maori people in those early days of settlement, on the shores of Port Nicholson, and possibly Wellington may also do something.—l am, etc., < . P.E.C. fPctonc's early history is inseparably bound up with that of Wellington, aid the part that the Maoris' played in Mie former is recorded in all the standard works which deal with the foundation of the Capital City. A movement is on foot to have placed on the beach at Petone something to commemorate the first landing of the pakeha, while the monument to Te Puni already erected is a reminder of the part played by that ,chief in the settlement's early history.]