MAORI AND PAKEHAA

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 47, Issue 14544, 5 December 1921, Page 6

MAORI AND PAKEHAA

PEACE MEMORIAL. ' CEREMONY AT THE PARK. There was a largo gathering at the Masterton Park yesterday afternoon, when the Maori peace memorial was unveiled. The proceedings opened with the National Anthem, played by the Master ton Municipal Band, the singing being conducted by Mr. R. J. Youngs A prayer was then offered up, followed by a Bible reading by Rev. Dr. Pinfold. Mr. G. R. Sylccs, after apologising for the absence of the Hon. T. Ngata, M.P., who was absent at the funeral of the late Mr. \V. Urn, said that the present ceremony marked the good feeling and spirit of comradeship which had always existed in this district between the Maori, and the Pnkolia. As far as the Wairarupa members of the Hamun tribe are concerned their elders were the leaders of the Maori Parliament that assembled at Papawai in the early ’Oil’s, and their voices were always raised in the interests of peace. The young sons of the tribe had faithfully followed their advice. The Maoris of the Wairarapa vied with the whites in performing their duty to their countty when the war broke out. They fought shoulder to shoulder with our own men in the trenches. The erection of a memorial to the long peace between the Maori and the pakelia appealed to the Maori mind. The Maoris were proud of this record, and the whites were proud ot the Maoris.

Mr. R. Brown then read a letter ot apology for absence from the Hon. A. T. Ngata. The latter referred to the amicable relations that had so long existed between native and pakelia in the Wairarapa.

Mr.' Tai Te Tan, in the course of Jiis address, and speaking in the .Maori language, said: “This is a memorial covenant unto the words of the Holy Trinity and Holy angels, and unto Queen Victoria, also unto King Edward VIE and King George V. who had continued to administer the blessings bestowed by Queen Victoria upon our fathers and forefathers; we their descendants are bound together in peace and mcek-heartedness, together with out venerable chiefs and tribes within the boundaries of the district of peace. Therefore this emblem has been erected as a memorial for our descendants. In 1839—The Gospel. In 186(1 —peace. In 1883—a memorial was erected by our fathers as an example for their descendants at Nga-tau-c-waru, Wairarapa; accordingly after forty years have elapsed, we erect this stone, that the descendants of both Europeon and Maori may see the period in which Christianity was embraced by the tribes in the district of peace 80 years ago. We rejoice greatly for the honour you have done ns by coining here to perform this ceremony. God Save the King and bless his people.

Mr, Pragnell (Mayor of Masterton) in an excellent speech, Said that he was indeed proud to take part in such an interesting ceremony on such historical ground —ground whereon in the early days had been erected a stockade for the protection of women and Children from the possible danger of an attack from hostile Maoris. The stockade, said the Mayor, was built by the late Mr. William Bragging, and hTs ~ ’"ip Mr. E. Bragging, to plans -prepared bv*Mr. J. Z S. Boys, of Greyi 1 , ~ ~ f •'H-mcial Gotown, to the order ot the iriv. vernment, as a place of refuge for tu v settlers at the time of native unrest. .Those present at the ceremony that day were there to commemorate tho peace between Maori and pakelia, which had never been broken since 1839. It was a very significant. fa* l * “““ '' r - - * 1.10 -Hit oris should desire to erect a token of the jioace that had existed. There were other portions of the British Empire where such tokens of love, peace, and mutual goodwill were not always noticeable." It was evidence that the Maoris were satisfied with the rule of the British Empire. That was, he said, the only reason that he could assign for their desire to erect the memorial which was being unveiled that day. -The Mavor their touched upon the work oi the late Mr. H. S. Warden, Mr. C. B. Carter and Dr, Eeatherston in maintaining the peace and goodwill in this district in the days of the Hau Han rising. The people of the Wairarapa did not sufficiently realise nowadays what these three had done to prevent serious trouble in this district with the Maoris* The memorial was then unveiled, two little girls, the Misses Alison Pragnell arid Millie Te Tau performing the cereman v. The monument contained the following inscription: “We have fulfilled the wishes of our forefathers, which was ‘show peace and faith to Her Majesty the Queen.’ Wc have fulfilled them by the peace and faith which have existed between us and the p.akeha throughout this district of peace. 1839-1921. Therefore we have erected this monument to give our descendants a lasting record of their forefathers’ compact.” Two interesting flags draped the ' memorial. One was presented to the Wairarapa Maoris by the Duke of Edinburgh at Wellington in 1869, on behalf of the Government, in view of their steadfast loyalty in spite of attempts to influence them ‘in favour of the Hau Hau and King Country factions. The other flag was presented by the Hon. Dr. Pomare to the Wairarapa natives on behalf of the Government, at a gathering held in the "Wairarapa some time ago.