SPIRITED HAKAS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21717, 5 February 1934, Page 11

SPIRITED HAKAS

NORTH GREETS SOUTH STIRRING RECEPTION MAORI KING PRESENT ARMEDT PAINTED WARRIORS / FEROCITY WITH PRECISION [BT TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL REPORTER] "WAITANGI, Saturday After a series of delays almost amounting to a chapter of accidents representatives of three important native tribes —Waikato, Arawa and Ngati-Tuwharetoa, of Taupo—numbering in all about 750, arrived at Waitangi this afternoon, and received a splendid ceremonial welcome from the Northern and East Coast tribes already in camp. The occasion was given historic importance by the presence of the Maori king, Koroki Mahuta, the first of his line to visit the Northern people since the birth of. the king movement nearly 75 years ago. Moreover, such large delegations of the great Southern tribes had never met before on ground so far from their own territory. The young king, who was given a place of honour, took no active part in the proceedings, but the welcome was acknowledged on his behalf by his uncle, Haunui.

The special train bringing the party, ■which was to have reached Opua before breakfastj was delayed threo hours at. Helensville, because it was found necessary to obtain an extra engine. Trouble was also said to have occurred on the route through a shortage of engine water. All the available launches were mustered at Opua, and most of them had to make more than one trip before all the people and their luggage were landed at Waitangi jetty, well after the tim* for the midday meal. Delays and Rainstorm Meanwhile, the natives in camp, with male and female haka parties of both the Ngapuhi and Ngati-Porou and hundreds of pakeha onlookers, had gathered 011 the marae about 10 o'clock. The time was passed with trial performances of the various items until /a rainstorm blew up from the east, dispersing fully half the assemblage to the shelter of the tents and grandstand. The welcome ceremony, which began at- 2.30, well rewarded the spectators for the four hours' wait and lack of lunch, together with other discomforts. The Northern and East Coast haka parties had formed up in bright sunshine over 200 strong, with soma 70 warriors in front armed with tpears and staves ready to begin the Ngapuhi war dance. Many of the men had faces most artistically painted with an elaborate pattern of black lines in imitation of tattoo. Others were content with a single dab of ordinary shoe polish on each cheek. The newcomers advanced on to the field through a wide lane of natives, headed by a war party of Taupo men about 70 strong, stripped like the Northerners to girdles or piupius of flax. Each man was armed with a tewhatewha or wooden battleaxe, with a triangular head. The two leaders some yards in advance made weird grimaces, pirouetting with _ half-bent knees and swinging their taiahas. Bloodcurdling Shouts The home party, which was in two divisions, then broke into its dance, first one half and then the other leaping in the air, waving spears and uttering blood-curdling shouts, accompanied with violent contortions of the face and much display of tongues. Immediately the dance was over tne Taupo party followed suit, this being by ancient custom a sign of peaceable intents Their dance was carried out with the same ferocity and magnificent precision that might have been ex ~ pec-ted of a tribe which, more than any other, has continuously preserved the tradition of the war dance in all its details. The performance was rewarded by a storm of hand-clapping. The party then divided into two columns, and the chiefs of the delegations, accompanied by Mr. lau Henare, M.P., representing the hosts, advanced between them. On either fiank and some yards ahead were carried two Union jacks belonging to the .Arawas, one being a treasured Hag presented by Queen Victoria through .the Duke of Edinburgh in 1870, to Kepa Te Rangipuawhe, otherwise Major Kemp, the hero of the hardfought campaigns against Te KootL

The Maori king Koroki was in the centre of the front rank with Hoani Te Heuheu, the young chief of Taupo, on his left. The second rank included ueveral Maori clergymen. Two benches were carried behind, and the ranga•tiras took seats for the remainder of "he ceremony.* The welcome entertainment began •.vith songs by a large party of Ngapuhi women dressed in red, symbolising the blossom of the pohutukawa, with girdles of flax. Their movements were most graceful as they swayed to and fro with rhythmical wavings of the arms. Some of the songs were old ones, adapted to welcome the Gover-nor-General to Waitangi. At this stage the Native Minister, Sir Apirana Ngata, stripped to the waist and carrying a mere, appeared among the ranks of the singers and joined in as spokesman. The Northern men followed with hakas, quite as ferocious and grotesque as the war dance. Then came the East Coast women dressed in black, with a further repertoire of songs. Their men folk performed hakas with much vigour and skill. Proficiency oI Ngapuhis The speechmaking was comparatively brief. Sir Apirana Ngata, who spoke from between the ranks of the kneeling dancers, remarked that the young people of the Ngapuhis were to "be congratulated upon their dances and songs of welcome, seeing that until very lately they had had few opportunities to become proficient. He greeted all the visiting tribes by name, and in welcoming king Koroki chided him in a humorous way for not having yet taken advantage of an invitation to visit the East Coast people. Sir Apirana's welcome was endorsed by Henare te Ruru, a veteran of the Ngapuhis, who spoke in praise of tho Treaty of Waitangi, without which, he said, the people of the North, including himself, would be "in their graves." Haunui, replying on behalf of the Maori king, heartily thanked the Northern and East Coast people for their greetings, and said he hoped that the friendly relationship between them would long continue.

Hoan,i te Heuheu, for the NgatiTuwharetoa, said that his people were happy to be represented at the treaty celebrations. Their chiefs had not signed the treaty, but they all now recognised the benefits that they had received from it, particularly in recent times, because of the annual payment made to them for the Taupo fishing rights. " But for the Treaty—"

Mita Taupopoki, for the Arawas, caused a good deal of laughter by declaring that this would be the last big hui held outside Rotprua, which was the appropriate place for all such gatherings of the Maori people. He also referred to the revenue which the Arawas, like the Taupo people, received under the treaty for fishing rights. "But for the treaty the Ngapahi would be still eating me," he concluded —an allusion to the slaught«ir carried out in the South by Hongi Ika, the Ngapuhi chief, in the days before the Queen's rule was established.

The latter portion of the ceremony was interspersed with chants of greeting and several impromptu, but very vigorous, hakas by small parties of elderly people from among the newcomers.