THE MAORI RECEPTION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17458, 30 April 1920, Page 4

THE MAORI RECEPTION.

A MEMORABLE SCENE.

MANY TRIBES PARTICIPATE.

WAR AND PEACE DANCES.

ANCIENT NATIVE RITAL. . [fit TELEGRAPH.SPECIAL HEPOBTER-J ROTORUA, Thursday. After the disappointments of yesterday the Maori.reception to the Prince of Wales was duly carried out this morning, under conditions which could hardly have been better. A clear, fine morning followed the pouring rain of yesterday, and though a keen southerly breeze was blowing the warm sunshine tempered the coolness sufficiently for comfort. Long before the hour set for the ceremony to commence people began to make their way (toward Arawa Park. By nine o'clock the grandstands were fall, and a dense mass of people packed around the open space on which the brilliant spectacle which followed was to be staged.

•The tribes were drawn up in mass formation opposite the grandstands, and it was obvious at the first glance they were keyed up for the occasion. They stood forth in all the finery reserved for such occasions—the men for the most part stripped to the waist, though while waiting their turn they were glad enough to keep to their overcoats in deference to the coldness of the wind sweeping over the racecourse.

At the entrance to the grounds was a flagpole with a long string of tribal flags fluttering in the keen mqrning air. Here the Arawa and the Matatua, who, as the men native to the soil of Rotorua, were to give the first welcome, were waiting.

Promptly at half- nine a tremendous uproar in their rear announced that business was afoot. The throng parted, and through it came the Prince and his staff, accompanied By the assembled chiefs, and escorted by a grimacing, shouting band of half-naked warriors. The challenge had been met, and the Prince was on the ground. Through two lines of wahine in full poi costumes, chanting a song of welcome. he came forward at the slow pace essential to Maori etiquette, and swung round toward the stand. As they sighted him tribe after tribe took up the shout of welcome, though their part was yet to come, and it was through this swelling chorus that the Prince made his way to the Royal stand. • National Anthem in Maori. As the party cared the steps, Sir James Carroll, wearing a feather mat and carrying a laiaha, came to meet the visitors. He chanted the opening words of the "Kamate," the escorting Arawa taking up the chorus. It was to the sound of this wild chant that the Prince ascended the steps, acknowledging the greetings of Maori and Pakeha, and took his place for the business to begin. He had no sooner reached the scene than the plaintive voices of the girls from the Hukarere school for Maori girls were heard singing a familiar air with words : that did not sound so familiar to the ear. It was "God Save the King," sung in Maori. The boys from Te Aute College and a party from the Waerengahika College joined in, and with Maoris from the adjacent crowd supplying the parts of the harmonised version, the National Anthem was sung to the end, the Prince standing at the salute throughout the three verses. As he was preparing to take his seat the Hon. Dr. Pomare beckoned to someone on the Royal stand. A Maori maiden wearing two feather mats came forward, removed one of the mats, and handed it to the Prince. With the assistance of Dr. Pomare he placed it round his shoulders, and there it remained for the whole ceremony. Presentation of Address. The part which" followed was the only pakeha portion of the ceremony. Sir Wil liam Herries, Minister for Native Affairs, wearing a feather mat, and supported by an assemblage of chiefs and chieftainesses, read the Maori address of welcome from the steps of the stand. Having ■ received the address and the mat with which it was covered, the Prince made his reply, Dr. Pomanj translating to tae crowd of Maoris in front, from whom came deep-voiced murmurs of approval at passages which seemed to them particularly fitting to the occasion. Then the space in front was cleared, and the ceremonies according to the ancient Maori ritual began. The first on the field were the Arawa, and with them the Ngatituwharetoa. In the front was a band of warriors stripped to ine waist and wearing the flax piupiu. A long-drawn cry of warning, and they swung into the war songs, punctuated by the slapping of hands on bare chest, while the ground trembled to the stamp of their feet, which kept perfect time to the refrain. Behind them their party of women kept up the chant in an approving murmur as they waited their turn. The Arawas danced their war dance without weapons of any kind in their hands. It was brief though effective. The Canoe Poi. Then the warriors stood back, the women advanced, and a strip of carpet was spread on .the ground. The drst- line of wahmes sank down on it, and the canoe poi was soon in full cry, the party swine ing from side to side, twirling their pots and keeping effective time to the chanted /ofrain. which swelled out on the keen morning air with its usual under current of melancholy. The poi, with which all visitors to Rotorua are familiar, came to an end. and the remaining rows of women took their turn. Dre?_«ed in red skirts and whit* blouses, with the brjud sashe3 of bright blue across their shoulders, they made a dash of colour which stood out from the green of the grass with a touch of barbaric splendour. They also gave an elaborate •ind graceful poi. the flaxen balls beiiv strung on long strings and swung and twined with fine effect, the music of a couple of stringed instruments assisting on these occasions. Historic Sword of Honour. Following the Hot Lakes people came the tribes from the Bay of Plenty and the Urewera Country. At the ; r head and leading the war-song was Hem ana a grandson of Major Fox, the most famous of the friendly natives in the troublesome time of the Maori War. In his hand he carried, in place of a taiaha. a glittering claymore. This was the sword of honour which had been presented to Major Fox for his services on the pakeha side during the wars. This sword the major himself had carried and brandished in his aged hand when the tribes assembled to do honour to the present King when be visited Arawa Park nearly twenty Years ago. It was r.ow being put to a'sim.lar use by his grandson. The veremonies for this party went through a similar course to those of the Arawa, and they in tnrn withdrew and seated themselves on the grass. Meanwhile there had been a murmur and a rustle from the rear. The men of the north, who were to come next, were growing impatient. They were armed with long spears, round the top of each beng tied a bunch of dried flax. As the warriors went over the words of their war-song in a subdued tone, they shook their Spears and the dried flax rustled in the breeze, but . now their turn had come. Down the middle of the open space before them there cam» a wild figure, dressed in full

Maori costume, dancing, grimacing, sod brandishing a faiaha. Bight ted to the front of the party, now slowly advancing he cams shouting his challenge and his defiance. He almost reached them -when another 'warrior, similarly costumed, and armed, stepped to the front. Away went the challenger at top speed, with his purgoer in full cry after him. At the point where the party was to halt the challenger hesitated apd stumbled, and in a moment he was down, -with his pursuer standing over him, his foot on the recumbent form, brandishing h ; s weapon and shouting his triumph. Meant ; with a deep-chested shout the Ngapnhi. Aupoun. Earawa and Ngatiwatua were hard on the heels of the flying pair. They rushed forward impetuously to their appointed place, halted, and in a moment -were deep in their war i dance; with their spears swinging m> and down ; n a slanting direction, the flattering flax rustling in time to the rythni of their movements. They chanted their warsong as their forefathers had done when Hcngi and his musketeers spread terror I through the whole of the North Island, j Their wax dance was brief but stern and i full of the warrior's passion /or the fray. ! With it finished the party took up a milder ! theme, and gave a powhiri, in wh ch the i historic north gave welcome to the Royal j visitor, who was not able to see their I land himself. ! Dance Descriptive of Prince's Tour. The next party to advance was all peaceful. There was no war dance, the only performances being a poi. It w«, the Ngatiraukawa tribe, from the vrest coast of the Wellington province and the poi that the party performed was a special : one, called the Prince of Wales poi. The various parts and what they symbolised were announced by. a girl on the side of the party. The dance was descriptive of the various stages of the journey made bv the Prince to New Zealand, the stages being London, Charing Cross, the Plymouth, the Renown, the Atlantic Ocean, the Panama Canal, Honolulu, and New Zealand. The poi was a long and effectve one, which met with an enthusiastic reception at the hands of the crow . Led by a Member of Parliament. The following party was made up of the East Coast tribes. Anion? them were the Ngatiporou, the tribe to which belongs the Hon. A. T. Ngata- They led the van, and at their head was A pan -Ngata. himself. To-day he was all Maori. Gone for the time was all thought of the pakeha life of Parliament, the university, and the law courts. He was in native costume, stripped to the waist, bare of foot, and carrying a greenstone mere dangling from his wrist- by a. thong- He led hie tribe, and he led their war dance. The party advanced, the warriors carrying long spears, and followed by the women. Reaching their place, all sank on one knee and waited with heads bowed. At the eame time the Ngatikahungunu. representing Wairoa, Heretaonga, and the Wairarapa, 6tood forward and took their places, the two parties facing the Royal stand toeether. A hoarse shout warned the Rawhiti party from the . East Coast- , The knee; : '.£ warriors were galvanised into instant action- Springing* to their feet, they began th£ deep chorus of their "war song, raising • and lowering spears which they held vertically by their sides. The song "finished, they sank again to the ground, putting away their spears and crouching low. Then came a combined haka, the men and women acting together. A great show was made by th» men of the party, the gesticulation, the play of the limbs, and the alternate crouching and springing erect giving a high degree of wild lifeHomage to the Prince. Alongside them the -companion party began their defiant chant, and then prepared for their poi s-nd their haka. The pois of the Ngatikahungunu were the most elaborate of those given. . In the front was a row of women in native costume, and behind a row of girls in khaki, wearing slouch hats. They carried pois made of red and of white wool, and these, used alternately, made a fine show. Accompanying them was a string orchestra of some strength. For rythm, time-, and tune the performance was perfect, 'but it was a shade too sophisticated, and suffered bv contrast with the wilder and freer efforts which had gone before it. Accompanying this part of the ceremony was an interlude which, by its unexpectedness and its spontaneous grace, electrified the crowd. Mrs. Araparera Hawea, was with the party carrying the flag presented to Major Tunuorangi by Sir Lionel Halsey when, as captain of the New Zealand, be first visited the Dominion. With the' flagpole in her hand she i&ft the party, mounted the steps, and, stopping before the Prince, sank down in low and. graceful. obeisance, at the same time presenting the flag for his inspection. His Rove.l Highness examined the flag with interest and shook hands with Mrs. Hawea. Leaving the steps she pa 2d again as she reached the ground, and again sank down before the Prince in a further deep obeisance before joining her party. Again the war dances and pois of this section occupied a long time. Taracaki Tribes' Warm Welcome. Meanwhile there had assembled at the ' back a party, small in number, but striking in appearance. The warrior party consisted of men a shade smaller than the average Maori stature, but noticeable for their graceful and symmetrical' build. They were a light golden brown in colour, their hair was crisp and curling, and each man wore a band, around his head, either of green flax or of black or coloured c'oth. They were the tribes from Taranaki, together with the Whanganuis and the Ngatiapa. The presence of these Taranaki men in particular was significant. They have not in the past been conspicuous for their love of the pakeha. They acknowledged the mana of Te Whiti. and not so many years ago they were the objects of considerable suspicion. Yet today they were here, determined not to be excelled by any in the warmth of their welcome to the heir to the Throne. As they marched round to their place. there was carried at their head a banner bearing the words. " Kia Ora, the Digger." this being their greeting to the soldier Prince. The women of their partv made a picturesque showing in a costume of vivid red and white.. Before they took their places their leader. as wild a looking . figure fu ■ was 011 ground, threaded his way through the crowd made his way up the steps, bowed low before the Prince, saluted, and cast a gift at his feet. He then retired, grimacing. posturing, and shrieking to his people in a queer, high-pitched key, the note rising i°,u a scream, as the sentences reached their climax. Drawn forward in this manner the party made its way to the front and went through its appointed ritual of pois. war dances, and hakas, the effect being exceptionally fine. This ended the long programme.

The i Prince made his way down the of P «t . Ve 3St u at ' S fe ' el lhe offering of the tribes .. the shape of a nun , be of native mats. Th crowd surged round and through this swelling 1i«l P D f excited humanity he made his w :l v to hi. car and let the p.rk ( after a demonstration l " C loya ' t - v and welcome which will iteS i'i. m ' mo,J <* tb °«