The Mawai-Hakona Maori Association Upper Hutt

Te Ao Hou, June 1965, Page 3

The Mawai-Hakona Maori Association Upper Hutt This association, with about seventy financial members, comprises people living in the Upper Hutt Valley and surrounding areas. It arose from fund-raising activities during the Maori Education Foundation campaign. The first president was Mr Eruera Nathan of Ngapuhi and the first secretary, Mrs Amiria Johnson of Ngati Kahungunu. The name Mawai-Hakona is the old Maori name for the Trentham district. The objects of the club are briefly to preserve and teach Maori traditional arts, to work for deserving causes in the Upper Hutt district and to encourage good relations between the Maori and European residents of the district. The constitution provides that up to forty per cent of the members may be Europeans. The members come from all the principal tribes in New Zealand—not one is a local Maori. Most of the members are married, the greater proportion of the Maori members being married to Europeans. Some island Polynesians are keen members also. The club has given a large number of concerts in the past three years to raise funds for charitable and educational purposes and to entertain hospital patients. To a growing extent a repertoire is being built up of items with original words and tunes, the objects being to break away from ‘pop’ tunes and other hackneyed items. The club meets on Sunday nights in the Silverstream (Whirinaki) Hall. President: Mr J. M. McEwen. Deputy President: Mr Huitao Ngaparu. Secretary: Mr Neville Turner, 14 Jocelyn Crescent, Pinehaven, Silverstream. Leaders: Mrs Davey Katene Howarth, Mrs Hariata Jaspers and Mr M. Kereama.