MAORI MISSION

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIII, Issue 77, 13 March 1933, Page 9

MAORI MISSION

DIOCESE OF WAIKATO. After his visit to Taranaki (mentioned in our issue of Saturday) Bishop Bennett went to Te Kuiti. Here a “pou kai” was being conducted. This is an old custom which originiated with former Maori kings. It is a method of raising money for assisting various activities ‘under the king movement. There is no compulsion, but at the meal table two wahines of rank hold the collecting plate, and an you enter you put in what you can. These pou kai are held in different settlements about once a year. The Waikato people are very loyal to their king and hold those pou kai voluntarily. From Te Kuiti the Bishop visited Taumarunui and Manunui, where a confirmation service was held. There was only one candidate, a Rarotongan, who had married a Maori girl. Although the Rarotongan was not very familiar with Macri, nevertheless he learnt his catechism in Maori, and was so good at it that he could begin at either end and go forward or start from the last question and come back to tho beginning!

From Taumarunui the Bishop went to Canon Karaka’s pastorate near Morrinsville. At a place called Rukunioana tho Bishop and the Canon joined in holy matrimony no less than 12 couples in the one service. These wore people who had lived as married couples according to Maori custom for many years past. They wished now to comply with church custom and discipline. There were also nine adult baptisms, and 17 candidates confirmed. Tticy have a fine Maori choir here, which is very keen. Altogether the Bishop confirmed 75 Maori candidates in tho Waikato area, a number indicating the return of the Waikatos to the faith. There has never been so much interest taken in the work of the church by the Waikatos for the past 60 or 70 years. There are at least 50 more to be confirmed, but as they were not quite ready their confirmation has been put off until next August. From tho material side the Bishop was pleased to uote great industrial activity. In some parts there is a good deal of poverty and very little work, but the Maori is able to find food enough of a simple nature if he is living close to the sea. One feature which the medical authorities should watch carefully is tho seeming increase in consumption. Several deaths have taken place, and most of them from tuberculosis trouble. It makes one wonder whether this trouble is due to under nourishment in these hard times, or whether tlm living conditions are not ns carefully watched over us they used to be,.