A MAORI CELEBRATION

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue 7397, 25 February 1902, Page 2

A MAORI CELEBRATION

B (Contributed.) j On Sunday last a large number o i Maoris and Europeans assembled a v the Okaiawa pa to celebrate the openini of a fine large meeting-bouse, whicl } has just been erected for Mr Hohia, on t of tbe leading chiefs of that place r About one hundred natives came fron f the three pas on Hastirgs road. Ther c were also several visitors from Waiapu t one of them being a daughter of i celebrated chief of this locality, and whi * was taken prisoner by one of the friendl; r natives during the Maori wa ' in the sixties. On arrival at th< j pa a tangi was held. After th tangi a great many natives am ' Europeans entered the house, and gavi " money offerings, totalling about J650 I There was a beautiful wedding cake o B four decks, and fourteen bottles o a whisky. The cake and money will bi 3 taken to Parihaka and divided betweei 3 Te Whiti and Tohu. Over four hundrec ;, natives and Europeans were present * The Europeans contributed handsomeh , toward the funds, and their generosity was highly appreciated by the natives f Tauke and Te Kaupukoro were th< - principal speakers at the opening cere 1 mony,- and in welcoming the visitors i did so in the name of the Rev. M: 8 Haddon (of Okaiawa), who was alsi r present, and who is a direct descendan '• of the original tribe who came to Nev ' Zealand in the great canoe Aotea. M: Haddon is therefore looked upoi j as a man of high rank amonf his people. After the speeches , a sumptuous dinner was placec before the people, and both Maori anc European did ample justice thereto t The menu consisted of eels, pork, anc c beef, cabbage, potatoes, and puddings o i many kinds, also cakes, fruit, anc i sweets. After dinner, tbe local nativei f matched round the whare in sitigln fil< * to greet tbe visitors by rubbing noses 1 shaking hands, etc. After tea, tk< B Maori girls and women gave severa poi dances, and then the usual speech 3 making commenced. The speaken * made special reference to the Rev, Mi Haddon and the visitor from Waiapu I They said it gave them great pleasun * in meeting them upon this occasion t as it reminded them of the deai 3 departed ones. It seemed as thougt j all the old people had riser i from tbe bowels df the earth to dc f honour to the event, particularly Rev - Mr Haddon and the lady who hac * come from Waiapu. About midnight > supper was served. One pleasing feature * ture of the proceedings was the absence 3 of beer, and as to tbe 14 bottles oi 3 whisky, well, the Europeans did tbeii share in disposing of them.