MAORI COURT OPENED

Southland Times, Issue 24001, 16 December 1939, Page 12

MAORI COURT OPENED

Picturesque Ceremony At Exhibition HUNDREDS OF NATIVES PRESENT (United Press Association) WELLINGTON, December 15. The gayest <bnd most entertaining occasion of the Centennial Exhibition yet witnessed was the ceremonial opening of the Maori Court yesterday. Some hundreds of natives attired in korowai and piupiu participated .in traditional songs and dances and ancient ceremonies rarely seen in Wellington. The picturesque ceremonial was witnessed by many hundreds of people yesterday’s attendance being swelled to 11,503 by afternoon visitors. Chiefs and leaders of the Maori people had gathered from all parts of the North Island and ■ there was also a distinguished pakeha in attendance. In the absence of the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage), the acting Minister of Native Affairs, the Hon. F. Langstone, formally declared the building open. , The Maoris held a big social and dance in the assembly hall last evening. The old-time rite of lifting the tapu from the Maori meeting house was carried out during the day by two tohungas of the Arawa tribe, after which Princess Te Puea Hereangi and Mrs Sullivan crossed the threshold,. so driving out all evil spirits and making the building available for common use. Sir Apirana Ngata presented a number of carved Maori articles to the distinguished guests and the Minister of Defence (the Hon. F. Jones) presented three radio sets to the Maori Battalion, on behalf of the Ngati Poneke tribe and a number of carved taniko napkin rinks and carved officers’ sticks, on behalf of the Arawas.