MAORI CANOES

Waikato Times, Volume 123, Issue 20692, 30 December 1938, Page 7

MAORI CANOES

C ENTKNNIA L PREPA RAT IO N WOMEN MAKING CLOTHING INDUSTRIOUS NGAPUIiIS The Maori women in a number of the native settlements of the Ngapuhi territory are busy making the cloaks, bells and headbands for the crew of the Ngapuhi centennial canoe. The art. of inakir*g these articles of clothing had been largely lost in the North, but had been retained in some other districts. Consequently, Mrs H. ileperi, of Waihou Valley, went to Princess Te Puea's Pa. at Ngarua- ; wahia, and there rpastered the art and since her return to the North has been busy teaching other women so that all the necessary clothing will be ready for the centennial year. The large canoe that is being built at Kerikeri will be manned by a crew of 150, while a smaller canoe is also being constructed at Waihaha, on the Bay of Islands. A proposal is on foot among the northern Maoris to construct a building to house the centennial canoe alongside Ihe meeting house that is being built on the Waitangi Estate. In addition to the Maori clothing that will be required for the crew of the canoes hundreds of other Maoris taking part in the centennial celebrations at Waitangi in February, 1940, will also need -to be appropriately dressed, hence tbe early start that has been made, by the women in the preparation of the clothing. The waistbands and headbands of the Ngapuhi are being carried out in Taniko weaving in black and white, while black and white will also be the decorations on the cloaks, woo] being used for these decorations as tufts of feathers are unobtainable. EXTRICATED FROM BUSH EX ROUTE TO XGAR UA W AIIIA (Special to Times) ROTORUA. Thursday Two more sections of huge totara tree trunks roughly hewn in the shape of canoe hulls, which are to be used by the Waikato Maoris for the four canoes they are building for the Centennial celebrations together with smaller lengths, were brought from the bush at Oruanui on three trucks yesterday. They will be transported to-day to Ngaruawahia, where the final work necessary for the completion of the canoes is beinjg carried out by a party of Maori carvers under the direction of Princess Te Plica. The two longer lengths brought in from the bush yesterday exceeded the length of the sections taken to Ngaruawahia last- week by nearly 20ft., one being 58ft. long and another 51ft. Although there was considerable holiday motor traffic on the RotoruaTaupo highway, no difficulty was experienced by the drivers of the trucks in negotiating the corners and the hills, with their unwieldy loads.