OPENING OP A NATIVE HALL AT HENLEY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12036, 7 May 1901, Page 4 (Supplement)

OPENING OP A NATIVE HALL AT HENLEY.

; : ' AN INTERESTING GATHERING. '. ■ " The opening of a Native hall at the Maori : ' Kaik, HenleVj, on the 9th, was made the occasion of reviving Nativo ceremonial. The hall— a-neat, commodious building—is situ- ■■: ated at tho junction of thq old and now • roads at a corner or the village, where a ,', strong hapu of Maoris lived when the firs: white' settlers came to Otago. The ceremony '■'■; yesterday was that employed at the opening ; . of a whare Eunanga, or meeting, house, and , representatives of the Maori race wero pre- ;■■•: sent from Otakou, Fort Molyneux, "Wailouaili, and Waihou. Amongst the visiters from these. places were Messrs Parata, ' M.H.R. for tlie southern Maori district, 11. Maire, Ihaia Potiki, and T. Edwards, while tho descendants of local Maoris were present in numbers. In accordance with ancient custom, Mr Hoani Koana, on whose property the hall - . stands, welcomed the Maori visitors by an address in the Native language, in the course of which ho regretted the small number of Visitors from other place*. Messrs Parata and Mairo gave addresses in reply, and the former explained that hut for the short notice the school children from tho Karitano'School would have attended the function. To tho pakcha listener the Maori address was interesting, although unintelligible, and the solemnity of the Maoris receiving tho welcome w;\? befitting the remnants of a fast-disappearing race. The hall, which has been built solely by local subscription, is for the purpose of holding religious meetings on Sundays, and it will be available for all kinds of meetings during the week. Although Henley is well supplied with halls, the Natives and their 'descendants, fed that :i hall of their own is a necessity, and makes them independent in the.way of a meeting house. The hall has been named AVaipomiamu, after the name of tho South Island, mainly, the Maoris pay, because a meeting hoiitC in the North Island was so called, and the southern Maoris do not want their name to be filched from them.. Tho name, ta readers of'.Maori history will know, mean:; tho water' of greenstone, the name of (:.e North Inland being Te ilea a Maui, the fUh of Maui, as Maui, a Maori dicty, is supposed to havo fished it iip out of tho sea. The original name of tho South Island was Mahunui, but on the discovery of tho valuable greenstone, so highly prized for tho manufacture of Nativo weapons, .it was rc-naincd Waipounamu. Tho first pure Maoris of the Henley hapu and representatives of tribes who were onceßtrong in the South Island, still live at tho Henley Kaik. Prior. to the advent of the white man the 0 Moua pa stood on what is still . called Moua Hill, which may bo seen broken by a precipice, not far from M'Kcgg's Hotel. There, within a strong stockade, tho >' v hapu dwelt in security from attack, under the chieftainship of To Moua and Tu. Ho- ' kairangi, until, in an evil hour, the pa was tiltcn by stratagem and the hapu nearly exterminated. Tho latter chief was slain as ho leapt from a projecting column of rock into the Taieri River, ami the place has since been known as the Maori Leap. At a ~ 'later time, when tribal war had ceased and the leading southern tribes had become a ■,' scattered remnant, a now pa was formed on 11 piece of dry land in a bend of the Taiori River. The first settlers still remember tho stockade, which was passed on the way to the Tokomairiro and Clutha, and many a traveller was glad to partake of Maori hosVitality. The hapu, representing the Ngntilniimoe, Naitahu, and Waitaha tribes, was under Te Haki. the local chief, who owed allegiance to Tuhawaiki and Karctai. • Of the 'fame lineage as Te Raki were tho late Robert Brown and his sisters, .Mrs Parata arid Mrs E.' Palmer. At. the same timo that the pa existed on Moua Hill there was a pa "called Unumia at Taieri Mouth, under tho chief Tu Iriroa. At both'- pas the only . 'traces that remain arc tho Maori ovens and r 'the bones, shells, etc, constituting the mem"Ura disjecta of many a Native feast. Among the leading Natives of the Henley hapu nearly all of whom are dead now, : wero'Tuarea, Raweri. Te Kurihi, and Tcmakaki A nephew of tho three latter, Mr Hoarji Koafta, is the leading representative ■Maori at Henley. The widow of Koroko Mateue llneliou) is still living, and was present at the ceremony yesterday. Her two sons Henry, married to Rebecca Karetai, from Otakou, and their daughter, Olive, represent three generations. George Matene is another son. Mrs James Crane, whoso mother, Titi, was a pure Ngatimomoe, was present, as was her sister, Mrs Tanner, and ,am!ly - OPENING THE ' Tho ceremonv "of hoisting the flag and opening the hall was witnessed by a large 'number of people, the residents of the surrounding district turnin? out >n strong number for the occasion. Unfortunately the day ■was bitterly cold, and occasional showers of ' rain somewhat damped the enthusiasm of ' 'thoso who came to see a Maori function. Altogether there were about 300 people in ■' 'attendance during the afternoon. Precisely ' at 2 o'clock, the hour appointed, Mr"Parati, M.H.K., announced that the / 'flair 'would be. hoisted' and the hall named, fVpffSw Apology, from Mr James Allen, i-ffß-F ! Mr "'Henry Palmer, who were un'"•aMe W'ftttSijdUtlw latter, however, contn-

liuting a bullock, (wo sheep, and ;i pig for tin feast, with an offer of any pecuniary asMStancc lo t)ic extent of £10). but raid Mr Carncross, M.U.R.. was expected, and the- latter turned np later on. At a given signal by Mr \V. Urown, Mr Parata lioisieil the flag, a very pretty one, showing the Union Jack, and with the name of tho hall worked acre's the centre. As appropriate to the, occasion of opening a meeting house, Iliaia Potiki delivered an acidic--,, in (lie native tongue, and was followed 1))' Mr Thomas Edward?. Mr Henry Knrctai tlien unlocked the door, and a large number of people tat down to a sumptuous repast, while Maori and pakeha maidens vied with each other in waiting at table. Meanwhile the interesting ccremonv of opening the umu, or Maori oven, wan commenced. A pile of earth like a huge grave was attacked with shovels while the jieople crowded round to we how cooking , in real' old Maori fashion was done. He- ' neath the earth, straw and flouts and empty sacks steaming hot were fccii, and the removal of these revealrd the carcases of four sheep, a pig, and numerous plum , puddings in Maori green (lax baskets. The sheep and the pij were overdone, and almost converted into jellv, as the oven was closed at 7 oYlock in the, morning anil not opened till 3 in the afternoon. The | carca=c of a largo bullock was, however, done to a turn, and disclosed the triumph of the Maori over such trifles as the absence of cooking utensils. The imagination could catily carry (lie mind far hack to a time when instead of domestic animals the prisoners of war and slaves produced the meat for the ovens, and when, instead of a crowd of pakeha onlookers, wild men and women dancing iievee war dancjs viewed the proceedings. After between 390 and 400 people had been regaled with good things, Air l'nrata briefly addressed the public before dispersing. He again congratulated the young people on their rulerprise. and said (lie hall would be a convenience to visitors to the district. In the eonr;-e of his address Mr Parata called attention io the fact that the Government were now inquiring into tho condition of the landless Natives, and he . was pleased to be able to state that' over 1500 Maoris and half-castes would be provided wjth land. ! Mr Cnmcross, M.H.R., and Mr Maire also briefly addressed the people. An enjoyable social was held in the evening. I