MAORI CENTENARIAN.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 2 August 1924, Page 4

MAORI CENTENARIAN.

WOMAN WHO REMEMBERED CANNIBAL DAYS. To have remembered the inter-tribal war s of the Maoris before the colonisation of New Zealand and to have been able to recall cannibalism was the record of Reni Mangamutu, a Maori woman who died at Tamvhare (Waikato), the other day, at the age of 109 years. A Maori linguist, Air. H. Robinson, of Alatangi, said that he had verified the following facts concerning Alan-i gamutu’s life. She was born at Alatamata in 1815, ! at the time of a fierce fight between the Ngatimaru and Ngatihana tribes. The Ngatimaru tribe was defeated, and Alangamutu always dated her age from the time of that battle. The incident was fixed in her mind as her father, Irikerawho, took part in it on the victors’ side. Alangamutu married Pirika, and had three children. The only survivor is her daughter, Whakikihi, who is still living at Tauwhare, and whose age is 82. When her first husband died, Alangamutu married Te Hiwi, and had seven more children. The only survivor of this marriage is Pahi Te Hiwi, who is 61 years of age, and is farming at Tauwhare.

Alangamutu told Air. Robinson that she never ate meat, but liked tuna (eel) Although doubled with age, she enjoyed good health to the last. She died suddenly after breakfast. The aged Alaori woman used often to recall the arrival of the pakehas, and the first distribution of blankets among the Alaoris. She spoke also of the cannibal customs of her people. The women used to follow a fight, and bring in the dead bodies of the enemies to the pas. After that the women were never allowed to touch them. She remembered also the wars between the Taranaki and Waikato Alaoris.