OPENING OF A NATIVE HALL AT HENLEY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2456, 17 April 1901, Page 12

OPENING OF A NATIVE HALL AT HENLEY.

AN INTERESTING GATHERING. ' The opening of a Native hall at the Maori Kaik, Henley., on the 9th, was made the occasion of ie\i\ing Natne ceremonial. The hall — a neat, commodious building— is situated at the junction of the old and ne*v loads at a corner of the Milage, where a strong hapu of Maoris lived when the fir=t white settlers came to Otago. The ceremony yesterday was that omploj ed at the opening of a whTvre Runanga, or meeting house, and representatives of the Maori race were present from Otakou, Port Molyneux, Waikouaiti, and Waihou. Amoiig r t the \isitors from the^e place 3 were Meesis Parata, M.H.R. for the southern Maori district, H. Maire, Ihaia Potiki. and T. Edwards, while the descendants of local Maoris were present in number-. n , In accordance with anc.ent custom, Mr Foam Koaua, on who B e property the hall stands, welcomed the Maori visitors by an address in the Natne language, in the course of which he regretted the small numbei ct vis'tors from other place?. Messrs Paxata and Maire gave addresses in reply, and t.ie former explained that but for the short notice the school children fiom the Karita.ie School would have attended the function. To- the pakeha listener the Maori address was interesting, although unintelligible, and the solemnity of the Maoris receiving the welcome wai befitting fie remnants of a fast-disappearing race. The hall, which has been built solely by local subscription, r- ior the purpose of holding religious meetings on Sundays, and it will be a\ nibble for all kind^ of meetings during the week. Although Henley- is well supplied vith halls, the N?tne= and their descendants, feel that a hall of their own is a necessity, and makes them independent in the way of a meeting houre. The hall has been named Waipounanvi, after the name of the South Island, mainly, the Maoris cay, because a meeting house in the North T^and wa<= f-o called, and the southern Maoris, do not want their name to be filched from them. The name, a^ readers of Maori history will know, means the water of greenstone, the'name of the North Island being Te ika a Maui, the fiVi oh Maui, as Mam, a Maori diety, is supposed to r-a\e filled it up out of the sea. The original name of the South Island was Mahunm, but on the discovery of the valuable greenstone, so highly prized for the manufacture of Native weapons, it was re-named Waipounamv. The first pure Maoris of the Henley hapu t.nd representative., of tribes who were once strong in the South Island, still b\e at the Henley Ka:k. Prior to the a'hent of the white man the O Moua pa stood on what ie eitU called Moua Hill, which nny bo s^cn broken by a precipice, not iar from M'Kegg's Tlotel. There, within a stiong blockade, the l.apu dwelt in tecurity horn attack, under the chieftainship of Te Moua and Tv Hokairangi, until, in an>-e\il hour, the pa was taken by stratagem and tl-e hapu nearly exterminated. The latter chief was slain as he leapt from a protecting column of rock into the Taieri River, and fie place hns since been known as the Maori Leap. At a later time, whou tribal war had ceased and the learlmg southern tribes !ad become a scattered remnant, a new pa tfas formed oa a piece of dry laud in a bend of tie Taieri River. The firf-t settlers still remember the stockade, which was parsed on the way to tho Tokomp.'riro and Clurha, and many a traveller was •J'xd to partake of Maori_ hospitality. The hapu, representing the Ngatimamoe. Naita'm, and Wanaha tribes, was under Te Raki, the local chief, who owed allegiance to Tuhawoiki and Karetai. Of the same lineage as Te Raki were the late Robert Blown and his sisters, Mrs Parata and Mrs E. Palmer. At the same time that the pa existed on Moua Hill there was a pr. ca'led I'numia at Taieri Mouth, under the chief Tv Iriroa. At both pas the only trace- that remain are the Maori ovens and the bones, shells, etc., constituting the membra, disjecta of many a Natne feast. Among the leading Natives of the Henley hapu, nearly all of whom are dead now, were Tu.irea, Ravveri. Tc Kurihi, and Temakaki. A nephew of the three latter. Mr Hoiiin Koana, is the leading representative Maori at Henley. The widow of Koroko Matene (Inehou) is still living, and was present at the ceremony yesterday. Her two son?, Henry, married to Rebecca Karetai, from Otakou, and then daughter, Olive, represent thiee generation* Geoi^e Matens is another son. Mrs James Crane, »ho«p mother, Titi, v. as a pure Ngatimomoe, wai present, as was her sister, Mrs Tanner, and family. OPENING THE HALL. The ceremony of hoisting the flag and opening the hall wps witnessed by a large number of people, the lesidenls of the surrounding district turning out in strong number for the occasion. Unfortunately the day was bitterly cold, and occasional showers of rain somewhat damped the enthusiasm of those who came to Feo a Mr.ori function. Altogether there were about 300 people in attendance during the afternoon. Precisely at 2 o'clock, the hour pppointed. Mr Parata, MHR.. announced that the flag would be hoisted and the hall nan.cd. He read an apology from Mr James Allen, M.H.R., Mr Hemy Palmer, who v. tie un able to attend (the latter, however, contributing a bullock, two sheep, and a pig for tli-e feast, with an offei of any pecuniary a c ti^tancp to the extent of £10). but t-aul Mi Carr.cio-s, M.H R.. was expected, and the latter turned up later on. At a on en signal by Mr W. Blown, Mr Parata hoisted the flag, a very pretty one, showing the Union Jack, and with the name of the hall worked across the centre. As appropriate to the occasion of opening a meeting house, Ihaia Potiki delivered an addies« in the Native tongue, which was interpreted by Mr Parata In the course of his address Mr Potiki called upon the elder members of tho Maori race present to keep in remembrance their ancestors, and extended a heaity welcome to all present, both Maori and pakeha. He thanked all who had helped to bu.ld the hall, especially as they were so few in number, and concluded by w ishmg long life to all and prosperity under our King Edward. Mr Thomas Edwards followed in a Native | address in a similar strain. He reminded his Maori friends that although their fathers and grandfathers had neglected to build a meeting house, the younger people had made up for it by building the hall now oalled Waipounamu. Mr Henry Karetai then unlocked the door, and a large number of people sat down to a sumptuous repast, while Maori and pakeha maidens vied with each other in waiting at table. Meanwhile the interesting ceremony of opening the umu, or Maori oven, was commenced. A pile of earth like a huge grave was attacked jgjyj shovels while, \s£

people crowded round to see -how cooking in real old Maori fV.blnon was done. Beneath the earth, st^wv and PtV.es and empty backs t teaming hot were seen, and! the removal of thcae re\calfd the carcases of four sheep, a pig, and numerous plum, puddings in Maon gieen Max baeket3. The sheep and the pi° w ere o\ordone, and almost oomerted into jelly, us the overn iia a closed at 7 o'clock in the morning and not opened till 3 in the afternoon. The> carrwe of a large bullock was, however, done to a turn, and disclose 1 the triumpli/ of the Maori over such tnfles a« the absence of cooking utensils. The imagination could) easily carry the mind far back to a tima when instead of domestic animals the pn^oners of war and sla-^ es produced the meat for the ovens, and when, instead of a. crowd of pakeha onlookers, wild men and! women dancing fierce v, ar dances viewed tha proceedings. After bstwecn 3CO and 400 people had b^en regaled with good thingo, Mr Parata, bneSy ci'lcive.-aecl the public before dispei = ,ng. lie pgam congratulated the young people on their enterprise, and said the hall ■would be a comemence to visitors to the dutrict. In the course of his address jila Parata called attention to the fact that tha Government were now inquiring into the condition of the landless Natr.es, and he was pleased to be able to state that over 1500 Maoris and half-castes would be proMded -with land. Mr Carucros*,, M.H.R., also briefly addressed the people, and referred to the altciation of the boundaries of the electorate, which cut him off as their representative. He made pleasing reference to the good work on behalf of the Nath c race byMr Connor, of Henley. (JJ,- Csrncross's PpprocUition of Mr (.'minor was received with cheers, with a Maori -\ ersion of the same). Mr Carncro'-s also referred to the efforts to settle landless Natives on land, and bpoke in terms of eulogiam of Mr Parata's efforts in Parliament on behalf of the Natne race. Three cheers weie then gnen for Mr Parata and Mr Carncross. After Mr Maire had delivered a brief address in the Maori tongue, the public dispersed. ha\ing had a pleasing experience of Maori hospitality.