WAITANGI THE MECCA

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21708, 25 January 1934, Page 12

WAITANGI THE MECCA

NORTHERN NATIVES' TREK

NGAPUHIS' PROUD ROLE NEGOTIATORS OF TREATY CATERING ON GRAND SCALE [BY TELEOIIAI'H—OWN CORRESPONDENT] KAIKOHE, Wednesday For weeks past small droves of cattle have every now and then passed castward to the freezing works at Moerewa to be slaughtered and put in cold storage until required at the Waitangi celebrations. A number of pigs and hundreds of ducks and fowls ha've also been sent to the same destination. Many tons' of potatoes have been forwarded to Waitangi direct, Kaikohe district alone supplying nine tons.

The commissariat having been organised and despatched the trek to Waitangi by the natives from the inland and western districts has set in. For some days small parties have been making their way to tho Maori mecca. To-morrow larger parties will leave, over one hundred going from Kaikohe. Because they are engaged in dairying, quite a number of the natives will bo able to visit the gathering only on the two days of the actual celebrations. Tho Ngapuhi, who will be the hosts of the visiting tribes, are resolved to rise to the occasion. They are proud of the fact that it was their fathers who negotiated the treaty, that the first converts to Christianity were members of their tribe, that they built the fii'st church in New Zealand, operated the first flour mill and raised the first large wheat crops. It is their desire as hosts now to show that they are not unworthy of their ancestors.

GREAT HAKA ORGANISED WELCOME TO' WAIKATOS END OF 50 YEARS' ALOOFNESS [by telegraph—own correspondent] WHANGAREI, Wednesday In connection with the part to be taken by the Maoris in the celebrations at Waitangi the Maoris of the Whangarei district will be allotted a special part in the proceedings. Organised by the venerable chief Kaka Porowini, of Whangarei, and assisted by Mr- Gilbert Mahunga, of Pataua, and Mr. David Taylor, of Whangarei, a strong haka party has been chosen from the members of the Ngatikorora sub-tribe, inhabitants of the eastern shores of the Whangarei Harbour and Pataua. Preparations commenced about six months ago and the progress made has been very satisfactory. The Maoris have chosen one of the hakas peculiar to the Ngapuhi tribe and the theme deals with many aspects of the warrior days. The party make their final rehearsal to-night and leave for Waitangi to-morrow by special bus. It is expected that all the Northern Maoris will be in the camp provided for them at Waitangi by January 26. It is stated that among the many interesting and picturesque events of the celebrations, the reception to the visiting tribes will be one of the most imposing. From the native viewpoint, February 3 will be one of the most important days, as that day will mark the arrival of the Waikatos and the end of nearly half a century of aloofness preserved by the leaders of these south of Auckland tribes. It is nearly 50 years since a paramount chief of the Waikato and associated tribes paid visits of ceremony to outside tribes.

DISTRICT SCHOOL CHILDREN EXTENSION OF HOLIDAYS Requests from a number of schools in the vicinity of Waitangi were received at a meeting of the Auckland Education Board yesterday that the holidays be extended to allow pupils to attend the celebrations at Waitangi 6n February 5 and 6, the first days of the school year. Members of the board pointed out that the majority of the Maori pupils at the schools, and many of the white pupils also, would probably attend the celebrations whether holidays were granted or not.

It was decided to allow school committees in the district the option of extending the holidays by one week, on condition that the first term holidays were correspondingly reduced.