THE JUBILEE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 304, 23 November 1937, Page 8

THE JUBILEE.

THURSDAY—MAORI DAY. The biggest. event in the whole of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations is due on Thursday afternoon and evening, when the Maori cavalvade will bo presented by the Maoris of the Manawatu district. Over 10D actual performers will appear in the hakas, pois, and action scyigs while several more will appear in the earlier historical scenes which link up the present day. A canoe will be depicted being puddled up the river by a marouding tribe of foemon, to bo met by the inhabitants of the erstwhile peacoful pa, and a mock battle fought. All the customs and rituals of the Maoris will be shown, includings Maori carving and tattooing. Maori games, arts and crafts, bringing the life of the old-time Maori into the light of present day. From the ancient Maori customs, the scenes are brought up to the Maoris of the present day, and have some of the best talent in New Zealand is included in the . cast of native performers. Eight hakas, each with its own significance, which will bo explained in the souvenir booklet and by an educated Maori narrator, will be given, and six pois will be rendered by 50 talented Maori girls. The rehearsal of. the hakas, pois and action songs is strenuous, and takes hours every day in order to bring them to a state of perfection to satisfy the producer and the Maori loadore, who recognise that this is an event of epochal importance in their lives, and arc prepared to give time and money to make the event worthy not only the occasion. but of the Maori race. With two sound-film photographers sent specially from Auckland and Wellington to take a a full-length picture of the Maori cavalcade, it shows what importance the jubilee programme has in the bigger cities. All that is required now is for the public of Palmerston North and district to rccogniso its importance, and by attending, either on Thursday afternoon or ovenOig, prove that we, at any rate can appreciate what the organiser of the jubilee celebrations has caused to be produced for us. Mr Bennett assures us that the items put on by the Maoris will bo really firstclass and the whole performance, after making allowances for the limitations of the Showgrounds as a background, will bo one to bo remembered by everyone and worthy of the high standard sot by them and put on so far during the 1937 celebrations.