REHABILITATION OF NATIVES

Stratford Evening Post, Volume II, Issue 224, 20 April 1933, Page 6

REHABILITATION OF NATIVES

Need for Carved Meeting

Houses

Press Association, —Copyright,

That adequate provision for carved meeting-houses is a vital essential to any plan for the rehabilitation of the native race was a point emphasised by Sir Apirana Ngata. Minister of Native Affairs, when replying to a Maori welcome at Panguru, North Auckland. The Minister said that the people of the Hokianga district were well advanced in their preparations for the erection of their respective meetinghouses. At Panguru and Waima already about 60,000 feet of timber had been felled for the purpose, and this was now available for the carvers and carpenters. The cost of each would not be less than between £750 and £BOO, but against that it had to be recognised that no real progress could be made until the Maori had restored to him the selfrespect and prestige which had been handed down to him by his forefathers. There must be facilities for meetings and ceremonials.

"In short,” said Sir Apirana Ngata, “you must put back the mana of the Maori. The only outward recognised symbol is the meeting ground in front of the central meeting-house. There you can restore the ceremonies which were part of the natives’ culture of the northern Maoris of Hokianga and che Bay of Islands.” Out of their resources, which comprised untold quantities of timber and physical ability, the people of Panguru and Waima had combined to restore the chief exterior symbol of the mana of the Maori people of Hokianga. “These meeting-houses must have a place in any Maori development scheme,” added the Minister. “We will not find any of the money from the fund to help the construction, but we certainly want something from the cream cheques. Whenever you are ready to lay the foundation stone here, you will have me in attendance.”