MAORIS IN MOURNING

Taranaki Daily News, 30 August 1930, Page 1 (Supplement)

MAORIS IN MOURNING

THE PASSING OF TE WHITI

(By

r J. McL.)

The vast concourse of Maoris'at Waitara this week, and the ritual and lamentation attendant upon the laying in their final resting place of the ashes of the late Sir Maui Pomare, recall to many . Taranaki' people tho memorable burial of the great prophet Te Whiti at Parihaka. “ . As the moon rose above Mt. Egmont on the night of November 21, ‘ 11107, casting ,its reflected radiance on the death. village, the scene was weird and impressi and destined to ’be memorable to those privileged ? to view what, in.all probability will be the: last burial of its ~kind enacted on the slopes "of Taranaki's sentinel. All was nbt of grief, however. That was left to the burden-bearers of the race, the women. The men occupied themselves in less exacting business. The billiard saloons were' cro’wde'd, heralds at the doors of the saloons ringing bells and urging all and sundry in showman fashion to roll up, roll up! Gathered around the open spaces in groups, the old men and patriarchs talked of the departed mana .of the race, and its subjugation to the all-absorbing pakeha. The dark days associated with the coming of the pakeha still rankled in the hearts, of the older warriors, and occasionally, found vent in impassioned outbursts of

eloquence. .. /" Work at the. tomb was continued •by candle light till a late hour, and eventually ~ was suspended until next morning. Ever and anon the compara-

tive silence was broken by weird outbursts of wailing from wahines who crouched in groups in the whares. More subdued, but never ceasing, continued the grief sobs of the mourners holding vigil with the dead in the whare-mate, dimly lighted by candles set around the bier.

Within tho death chamber was revealed the most impressive scene of all. The physical distress which must have almost prostrated any but the most robust and imaginatively excitable seemed to make but little impression on these mourners, who had never left their posts since death came to the prophet in the early hours of the previous Monday morning. Crowded in attitudes, now of supplication, now of distress, anon with heaving breasts and deep-drawn sobs or twitching nerve and mute: appeals their vigil continued with neverceasing fervour.. The ■. night through, while the rest of the village was deep in the embrace of Morpheus, the stillness would suddenly be broken by a long drawn-out, weirdly pathetic wail from some quarter, and answered by the watchers in the whare-mate. ;

At the first dawn of the day decided on for the funeral Parihaka was astir,’and preparations : for the feeding of the thousand people in the ffettlemen# commenced. With the food supplied and the method of serving, not even the most fastidious epicure could find fault.

Some considerable emotion was shown on the arrival of Messrs. W. H. Skinner, W. J. Gray, and other pakehas well versed in Maori knowledge. As they approached the house of the dead they reverently uncovered, and stood for a considerable time in attitude of mourning. As compared with the thoughtless, disrespect and curiosity of the majority of European visitors, this showirig of respect made a visible impression on the Maoris; one of high rank, as he burst, into tears, confiding to assembled Pressmen that this was ample recompense lor all the shocking disrespect of other pakehas. The bottom of the grave was lined ,with mats, on the top of which was laid a feathet mattress covered with immaculately white sheets. Two pillows were placed at the head of the grave, on them being exquisitely worked the words: “Te Whiti Orbgomai.” The sides of the tomb were draped with valuable opossum and. feather mats, the cement lining being completely covered. These preparations, having, been completed shortly before hall-past one, the wailing of the wahines doubled in intensity, and it could be seen that the ceremony was almost at an end by the farewell prostrations being made at the bier. ’•

Suddenly from the back of the bjg house appeared Charlie Waitara, clad in a pin piu, and carrying a tewhatewha, at the head of a baud of sixty putu dancers. -' •

Slowly they 'marched to the end of the grave, where they divided into two ranks, leaving an avenue from the death chamber to the tomb, along which the pall-bearers might pass/ In a few minutes the signal to raise the body, was given, and a great wail went up as the body was raised from its couch and transported to the grave. The grief of Mrs. Waitara, who- had sat by the body incessantly since the previous Monday, was pitiable to be-, hold. Weakened by the long vigil, she was too weak'to .support herself,- and' tho strong arms of attendants raised her while she.-.pourcd. out her sorrow in weird and heart-piercing lament.' Silently the body was Towered into the grave and Silently the .sad-faced multitude looked on. Then Charlie Waitara, stepping into the open, spoke as follows: “All those who did'not weal Te Whiti’s white' feather when he was alive, are not his people. He that was not for him, was against him.” This raised a storm of dissent chiefly from the Tohuites, but. Waitara continued his speech. The weather, he explained, was the sign of unity, peace, prosperity and goodwill towards men. Sprinkling some earth on the body he addressed the I dead, saying: “Now I commit you this day to earth. You shall return to the earth from which you came.” For an hour and a-half, amidst great lamenting ‘ the relatives and dancers filed round the grave, and then the pakehas approached, and looked into the open tomb, the body lying covered with beautiful white feathers, mats ar.d a very valuable putohenua. The viewing over, the iron arc?! was placed over the grave and the whole cemented, down with' about a foot of concrete. The native.band struck up r a” lively air, hundreds of guns were fired, and while the older women continued their weird grief, cries, the younger bloods cqnunenced tQ', dance a lively haka, ’ ■ ‘ ■