COLOURFUL CEREMONY

Evening Star, Issue 23452, 18 December 1939, Page 10

COLOURFUL CEREMONY

MAORI COURT OPENED BEFORE THOUSANDS EXHIBITION AT7RACTIOM The meet colourful and stirring ceremony yet witnessed in the Exhibition took place ou Thursday, when hundreds of Maoris from all parts of ".New Zealand and thousands of pakeha- spectators witnessed the opening ceremony for the Maori Coifrt. . . ' , . In the absence of the Prime Minister, Mr Savage, the acting Native, Minis ter,. Mr Langstone, formally declared the building open. Some hundreds of Natives, attired in " traditional, dress, took part in Maori songs and dances and ancient ceremonies rarely witnessed in Wellington. Chiefs and leaders of the Maori people had gathered from all parts of the North Island, and there 'was also a distinguished pakeha attendance. The Court of Pioneers, ,in which is the north band shell, presented a lively appearance as young Maori warriors, clad in reed skirts and little else, took their place on the band shell platform. Attractive wahines 'in cloaks and piupius, with/ greenstone tikis round their necks, lent colour to the crowds moving in the lee of the buildings. Many of the Maori women, particularly the elders,;wore priceless ornaments of nephrite, and carried greenstone meres, heirlooms of the great days.of Maoriland. ,v>. ■

The Maori Battalion formed a guard of honour commanded by Major Dittner, and formed up at the back of the scated-guests. A party of the battalion left the bodyguard, stripped,, and, armed with tuahas, clambered on to the band shell, where they . were greeted by tiro, visiting Arawas and the Wellington Maori,’ the Ngati-Poneke. Here they gave a series of ceremonial dances with great vigour' and enthusiasm, posturing and grimacing, hands slapping bare thighs l and chests in rhythm, and bare feet drumming on the platform. Sir Apirana Ngata, acting as master of ceremonies, outlined the programme and explained its significance with a humour and cynicism which kppt both Maori and pakeha listeners greatly entertained. The acting NatixifiMinister, Mr Langstone, inspected the 1 guard of honour. Speeches of welcome 'tri' the distinguished visitors were made by the chiefs of the tribes. Mr Hapi Love, direct descendant of the famous Port Nicholson-; chief, Wi ■Tako. spoke on behalf of the NgatiPonefce, first in Maori with an- interpreter, and then in. English; In Maori, he said, “ Awake, Awake 1 Here before you are the Maori forcep .of New Zealand called to arms as in- the old days. They have been given the traditional orders that they were given of old. So, know you all, that soldiering is no’new thing ,tp the Maori people t” His speech was followed -By "a dance and Song By' thfe Ngati-Poneke fwomeri. Chief Kipa Roere, _of the ' NgatiRankfiwd; thbh spoke In Maori-on be-half-of-the Cook. Strait" people,: wearing-*- flax- coat - and holding a -whalebone tewhatewha. He paid tribute to Sir Apirana, who, he said, had devoted h;s whole life to the cause of the Maori people. “.Now,, at the time of the'’ Centennial celebrations,’- said. the . chief, he looked back on the past 100 --years and saw a long procession of j’pakehas. arriving in New Zealand.? , He iJ-askedVhimself what thd next, 1,00 ypars -.' ivould’-show. However, atj the;close ol ’ the centenary the Trerity of Waitangt : would still' be celebrated. By virtue that treaty, the two’; races found f! themselves to-day like-, brothers., ..and sisters, and their mordjl.,obligations; to t' oae another were such as must be niaiilS tftjned for all time. The chief’s speech ;-v#as followed, by a song and posture ■l;' dance of great spirit by Ngati-Raukawa I’ children." vSir Apirana explained that ;£ the dance arid song treated the theme !V of the selection of the Maori king and T the .children were descendants of To | Ranparaha and Te Rangi Haeata, the * great chiefs who -came down-- fro in Taranaki.'a century: ago and.-coriciuered, a lid settled the Cook Strait- shores. ' | THE MAORI HOUSE. ']! The significance of the Maori Court >. builij in. the Exhibition was explained by ' ■'STr'Apifaha.' It had been criticised," 1 he said> on the grounds that it was neither ‘S' Maori house nor a pakeha house, but a mixture of the two. . . 7 Houses • that 1 Captain'Cook - saw were very .different, *’ he said. “They were dug-partly into the ground, and access was through a small dorway »biut two feet" high,- so that, fresh.-air was largely .excluded, but there was within something • of the warm atmosphere to which the Polynesians were, accustomed before they came to New Zealand. “ Such houses are not likely to re- . .cur.. The Health Department want the Maori to breathe fresh air.’ The •insurance companies object to .the use of dried grasses for roofing thatch. The mayor, or the muriicipal authorities he -- represented, insists on certain by-laws being complied, with. Indeed, in 100 years, the Maori has not lingered far . behind the rules the pakeha insists on . for the citizens of New Zealand, among whom are the Maori. “ There ■is another thing. The present generation of Maori have forgotten , how to' sit on the ground. Originally