MAORI KING

Stratford Evening Post, Volume II, Issue 424, 2 December 1933, Page 2

MAORI KING

Official; Vfeit to Taupo ) v ( — ■' ■ Press ~ ' ■ ; ' Taupo, November 30. *" An event of - considerable importance to the Maori people will take place at . ithe southern. firwJicf r Lake Taupo on, De--i cember 6, Rata Kordki,,.who re,cently succeeded to. the Maori kingship, ifj'expscted -&' : make £sh official' visit to •Wlih%- thf r of the • TuSkharetoa tribe and their chiefly line, the Te Heuheu family. Invitations to Visit their territories were recently extended to the new king by various sections of the Maori r_ace, and* among itheep was one offered on behalf of the-'-TiwKaretoa 1 'people- through • their present chief, Hoani Te Heuheu. No,such.-officiaJk.vis.it outside the terrl- * tbry of the Waikatd tribes most closely - ' been made since the proclamation of the T ;f#St King, P6tS*aJi.:Te Wherowhero* at ! « Rangiaowhia, in. June, 1858, In .Maori £: circles the forthcoming visit'.will b&.regarded as a significant step in the shabte lLshment of closer relations between the 5T various tribes..' '■ v .. *;,;..' & That Te Rata'Koroki's first official visit; 't?: outside Waikato be made fe to /■$' 'fitting, in-view of^ie-'tsircumstances^aV 'M tending the foundation of" the. Maori^ fjß kingship. Th# setting-up of ja-head chief* lM or ''king" to unije> .tribes 3 had been" discussed for several;;years § prior .to" 1858, bijjt for- various; ilasons the chiefs approaching' were urrwfllin& X' to accept nomination. . Among those ;whcr :,|i thus,declined was-Te Heuheu Iwikau' r i the' : *V great Tuwharetoa leader, brother the , , first Te Heuheu.. , , ... '.',,' - 1n'.1857. a meeting of Maori chiefs and v delegations -from .many?; 'pasts 'of New Zealand wa4 he{d-at Poukiwa, on the . lake shores. »neaj #kihi*' There," under ,' the guidance and with the approval of »."the\Tuwharetoa Leader: The kingly title w ''■f was bestowed. upjlfi 'PdUtau, who was* ;. ; . (formally proclaimed in the following , ;: ;'- year. . ' ~ , .i.*k*W- « "..'• i* ; v The visit to Wphi 3^iH' f .widely ap- " proved among thp Maori.people, hf view".| T'of the' historic associations of the locality j and tbe Tuwharejoa chiefly family .with j * the choosing "of the first king. As. it has I' been picturefcqaely" phrased, "Poukawa is j still here,' Poukawa is. still calling." It I is probably that„this initial visit will be j followed by Others, and it is possible, that i « Ohinemutu 'and Maketu,' centres of the i | :Arawa people, may nexi be