PICTURESQUE CEREMONIES

Hawera Star, Volume LIII, 2 November 1933, Page 6

PICTURESQUE CEREMONIES

MAORI BURIAL SERVICE. PAIR UNITED IN LIFE AND DEATH (By Tc-legr^rJ.—l’ress Association.) AUCKLAND, Nov. 1. Picturesque Maori ceremonies were performed at Orakei village when representatives of tribes from all parts of the North Jslaind Assembled to take part in a burial service to two old Natives, Wat-ene Tautari and Te Hira Pabeoro, who died within seven hours of each other. The burial, which ook place in an old tribal cemetery at the village, was witnessed by a large number of people from the city. An unusual feature was that the two men were buried side by side in one grave. It was stated it would be difficult to find in Maori history a parallel to the circumstances of the lives of the two. They were both born j in the village, were brought up together, were life-long friends, diietl within a few hours of each other and were buried in the same grave.

The Maori “king” Koroki was present, but did not take part in the ceremony, his uncle. a son of the earlier “king,” Tawbiao, speaking on his behalf. Although there were over 2000 city people on the marae the proceedings were not in any wav interfered with, the grief of the Maoris being treated with the greatest of respect.