tion. There are more Maoris becoming lawyers and teachers. And Maoris are proving themselves equal to the European in cultural activities. Those such as Kiri Te Kanawa, Howard Morrison, and Inia Te Wiata are well known for their achievements in the field of music. The duo Lou and Simon is a very good example of Maori and European working together as a team. The times have gone when they were two very different races, for now they are one people, working and playing as brothers, regardless of race and colour. None of the Maoris think of the times when a man of the Ngapuhi tribe could not marry a woman of the Waikato tribe. A man will marry a woman no matter what tribe she belongs to. This is good for it brings together all the tribes of New Zealand. Even better than this is the fact that many Maoris are marrying Europeans, drawing closer together the two peoples of New Zealand. It is unfortunate that men such as Steve Watene and Tiri Katene have died because they were well known for the work they did while in Parliament. But as the elders die the younger people take their places, for it is the boys of today that will be the men of tomorrow.

He Tuna Waiata

The Singing Tuna by Louise Tilsley Maori version by Matire Wikiripi

‘Tanumia, e Rau, kia hōhonu, kei keria ake anō e te kurī nā. Tīkina atu te hō kei roto o te wāhi-whare nā.’ Ka mutu ēnei kōrero a te Minita nei. Ka hoki atu ia ki roto i te whare. Ka mahue iho a Rau ki te mahi i tāna i whakahau ai kia mahia. A Rau he tamaiti Māori. Ka iwa ōna tau. I te teihana mihana o te Rohe Pōtae o Niu Tireni ia e noho ana. Kua mate ōna mātua i a ia anō e nohinohi ana, nā reira ka riro mai ia mā te Minita nei e atawhai. Tino pai a Rau ki ngā tāngata katoa o taua kāinga nei, ā, tukuna ana ia kia haere i ngā wāhi katoa o tō rātou kāinga. Ko tana tino mahi pai he haere ki te hī tuna i tētahi awa i raro tata iho o tō rātou kāinga. I ētahi awatea, e haere ana ia ki te awa o Ongārue, e hia maero te tawhiti. Ka nui hoki te tuna nunui ki reira. I tētahi rā, kātahi tā rātou manu ka mate. Nā, ka tonoa a Rau kia mauria taua manu kia tanumia. Ka mea atu a Rau, ‘Ae, māku e tanu kia hōhonu.’ Ka tango ia i te pēke pepa i roto o tana koti. Ka kohia te manu ki roto, ā, ka haere ia me te pei ki te tanu i te manu nei ki raro atu o te mahinga. E titiro iho ana te Minita nei ki a Rau e haere ana ki te tanu i te manu. ‘Bury it very deep, Rau, in case the dog finds it and tries to dig it up again. You will find the spade in the tool-shed,’ said the Minister, as he walked inside the house, leaving Rau to do his bidding. Rau was a little Maori boy, about nine years of age. He lived at the Mission Station away in the King Country of New Zealand. His parents had died a few years after he was born so he was placed in the special care of the Minister, at the Mission Station, who seemed to take a great interest in him. Rau was very fond of everyone there and he was allowed special privileges about the place. His chief hobby was eel fishing. Every spare moment he had was spent down at the creek not far from the house and when he had a whole afternoon he would go miles up the Ongarue River to try to catch big eels. Thus it came about that this special Saturday afternoon Rau was asked to look in the bird cage and take out a dead canary to bury it. So he took it out of the cage very carefully and put it quickly into a brown paper bag which he pulled from his pocket. ‘Yes, all right, I bury him very deep,’ Rau answered with a big smile and off he went down to the end of the garden. The Minister watched him from the study window striding down towards the orchard, with the spade on his shoulder and the bird in the bag in one hand.