TROPHIES FOR MUSEUM

Taranaki Daily News, 18 July 1933, Page 4

TROPHIES FOR MUSEUM

SAFE-KEEPING AT AUCKLAND. X VALUED MAORI SYMBOLS. By Telegraph—Press Association. Rotorua, Last Night. A suggestion has been made by Mr. H. Tai Mitchell on behalf of the Arawa tribe that the Ahuawhenua (or Son of the Soil) cup recently presented by the Governor-General for the . encouragement of farming under. Native land development schemes, and which was won for the first time by William Swinton, Ruatoki, be lodged in a section of the Auckland museum owing to the fact that thermal fumes in the atmosphere at' Rotorua have a tarnishing effect upon silver work. It is considered the cup would be better preserved in the museum. > Mr. Mitchell also suggested that the “onewa patu,” which was presented by the federation of the Ngapuhi tribes to the Arawas as a mark of the extinguishing of the slumbering embers of enmity caused by inter-tribal wars between the two peoples, also be displayed with the cup. This patu was presented by Sir Apirana Ngata during his .visit to the North Auckland district in May last by Henare Kingi, chief of the Ngati Kahu, and was conveyed by Sir Apirana, together with Ngapuhi peace overtures, to a large gathering of the Arawa hapus held recently at Ohinemutu, when the Governor-General also presented the Ahuawhenua Cup, together with the Ahuawhenua trophy and the Onewa patu. ' Mr. .Mitchell also suggested that the valuable greenstone mere and a Maori head modelled in life size in kauri gum which were recently acquired in London and which are Arawa tribal heirlooms should also be lodged in the museum. Appreciation and approval of the offer have been conveyed by the museum authorities, and the trophies and heirlooms will accordingly be lodged in the museum by Mr. Mitchell. . In the course of his letter to the museum, Mr. Mitchell said: “May we suggest that this onewa patu be placed alongside the Ahuawhenua trophy, because we feel that the remarkable interest taken by their Excellencies in all matters appertaining to the welfare of the Maori and history undoubtedly inspired to a very large degree the Ngapuhi gesture which produced the patu as a symbol of that inspiration.”