MAORI WELCOME.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20223, 6 February 1934, Page 5

MAORI WELCOME.

Ancient Dances Performed at Waitangi. RENAISSANCE OF CULTURE. (Special to the “ Star.*’) WAITANGI, February 5. The welcome of the tribes to the Governor-General and Lady Bledisloe this afternoon crowned the crusade for the renaissance of Maori culture. As tribe after tribe made its contribution to a performance which revived times long before the coming of the European, the huge assemblage containing thousands of modernised Maoris and pakehas was left in no doubt as to the feelings which Waitangi has expressed. Punctually at 2.30 the Vice-Regal party left the Government steamer, Matai, a salvo of gunfire from the warships anchored in the bay coinciding with the arrival at the wharf. Cheers from the assembled multitude, numbering nearly 10,000, greeted Lord and Lady Bledisloe as, escorted by Kapehau and three A.D.C.’s they made their way to the official grandstand. They had been preceded some minutes previously bv King Koroki, leader of the Waikatos, who took his position with other representatives of the Native race in the place of honour in the front row. War Dances and Pois. The Ngapuhis, 150 strong and led by Mutu Kapa and Turei Heke, began their war dance, peculiar to the Tai Tokerau people. Showing the emblematic red of Pohutukawa in their dresses female dancers from the same tribe did a poi as a wee girl led by Fanny Hare Tana, presented her Excellency with a floral bouquet. The elder ladies danced a powhiri of welcome, and as it concluded the braves advanced through the lines of wahines to add their tribute in song. Bearing tewha tewha weapons (or wooden axes) in their .hands Ngati Tuwharetoa, from Taupo, delighted with remarkable demonstrations of peru peril, leaping high from the

ground and keeping their raised feet parallel with the ground. Graceful Performance. The gracefulness of pois by a Waikato party organised by Princess Te Puea illustrated the flight of the white crane and the gliding passage of the fantail. Before their retirement the Waikatos engaged in further poi dances, the individual leaders holding attention by facial grimaces and protruding tongues. The local natives were particularly interested in the next group, the Matu* atua tribe (Bay of Plenty), who came out in the same canoe as the Ngapuhi. Their common connections were shown in the similar way of dancing the peru peru. The action song cf the Kahunguru (Hawke’s Bay) people could have been mistaken for a modern ballet. A repetition of the war dance which was given in honour of the Duke of Cornwall was given by Arawa men. Most Attractive Offering. Perhaps to the pakeha mind the most attractive offering of the afternoon followed, a hundred maidens of the same tribe performing five distinctive pois simultaneously. This was not traditional, a modern arrangement being followed, but the art was of the highest. Wanganui bore canoe paddles in their hands while giving vent to facial grimaces in an age-old dance. The Taranaki maidens wore white bodices thickly tied with black strings, hanging from each being a shark’s tooth. Their traditional chant was almost of an invocational character, emanating from Tewhiti and Tohu, philosophers of their people. The first act of the Ngatiporou, who were the last Maori group to appear, was to clear away the gods of other tribes by making incantations to their deities who held sway before the advent of Christianity. Demonstration of Loyalty. A haka of thanksgiving was a vigorous demonstration of the allegiance and loyalty of the Maoris to his Majesty the King, and a similar haka to that given in honour of the present reigning monarch when in Rotorua was also performed. The sentiment was one of great appreciation that the King has placed the shadow of his royal protection upon the people of New Zealand.