“TATOU TATOU.”

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVIII, Issue 18414, 21 May 1920, Page 6

“TATOU TATOU.”

DR THACKER UPHELD. The Mayor, Dr Thacker, has received the following letter from a well-kuovvn Maori resident of the East Cape district:— To .Araroa, East Cape, May 12, 1920. The Mayor of ChristchurchDear Sir,—l was much amused when, on my return from Rotorua, I read in the “ Poverty Bay Herald ” how the Press of ttie Dominion, in its ignorance, ka9 been laughing at you because you sent the Prince of Wales the Maori greeting, “ i'atou tatou.” The newspapers Kindly suggested before sending your message you should have looked up the Maori dictionary or consulted a Maori authority. I have no doubt you consulted that authority, for your greeting to our future King was both a very liappy one as well as being couched in first-class Maori. The newspapers evidently had studied Wil-liams-a dictionary of the Maori language for they translated “ Tatou tatou” as “ We we,” which is ridiculous. The verb “To be” is not expressed in Maori, so if they knew this they might, with pardon, have translated the phrase “ We are we,” -which ia meaningless. v Tatou ” includes both the person addressing and the person addressed, so the greeting means “ We and you are (one) ” and in your case it meant, “ We, the people of Christchurch, are one in heart and soul with you, the Prince of Wales.” Can anyone conceive of a happier phrase to greet our Royal guest P The greeting is genuine Maori and is very much used by the tribes at the present day. 1 heard Sir James Carroll use it at Rotorua the other day when he was addressing. the Ngapuhis, and they fully understood what, ho meant and received his words with evident appreciation. Your critics further suggested you might have ‘used the (tap-room) greeting “ Kia Ora.” I would like to suppose it was Dr Pomare who had put you up to welcoming the Prince in the happy manner you did. The doctor and I should both feel proud, as we do, that Christchurch had thought it good enough to greet Royalty in Maori, the tongue of the original owners of New Zealand, for we both can lay claim to being old Christchurch “ boys,” for in your fine city we received portion of our education. I walked up Queen Street, and felt wearied at seeing nothing but “Welcome” written everywhere, and disgusted when on the arch just outside the railway station at Rotorua, I read on one side “ Welcome,” and on the other “ Farewell.” Can you wonder it raised cats, dogs and strikes P It was given to you and your English City of Christchurch the happy knack of greeting in Maori the Prince of Wales in Maoriland.—l am, , REWETI T. KOHERE. |