Te Whētiwara O Poronīhia Polynesian Festival, 1972 Nā, i tū ki Pōtiroma o Rotorua ngā whakangahau-ā-Reo ā te Iwi Māori. Ko te rohe whenua tēnei o Te Waiariki. He whakataetae-ā-iwi ēne; mea, mai no ngā wharetapere o ngā mana, o ngā reo, o ngā rōpu o tēnā hapū, o tēnā iwi, o te Kotahitanga o te Motu, puta noa i te Ika-roa-ā-Māui me te Waipounamu. Otirā, no te mea i kitea, ā, i rangona hoki ngā waiata me ngā kanikani ā ō tātou whanaunga—ngā Hāmoa, ngā Rarotonga me ngā Niueana atu ki ngā Tokerauena o ngā tini moutere o te Moana-nui-ā-Kiwa, ka tika te ki—he tuatahi tēnei whētiwara mo te Ao katoa. He tino whētiwara Māori. He waimarie a Te Arawa kia whiwhi i tēnei Whētiwara. He hūmarire tonu no ngā iwi nunui kia waiho kia Waiariki te tāonga nei i tatū pai ai. Arā kē hoki ngā iwi mahi tonu i ēnei whakataetae-waiata—a Tūranga-waewae, te marae o te Kuini Māori, o Te Atairangikaahu o Tainui waka. me Ngāi-te- Irirangi Tahuriorangi of Hinekura-Tuara is presented with the Taitokerau Trophy for the best men's leader National Publicity Studios Now the games and amusements of the Maori people were staged in the Sportsdrome at Rotorua. This is the Waiariki Maori Land Court district. These are tribal contests which stem from the traditional ‘wharetapere’ of scattered peoples—authorities, voices, and groups of sub-tribes, and tribes of this country's federation from the North Island through to the South. And, in view of the fact that we saw and heard the dances of our kinsmen—the Samoans, Rarotongans, and the Niueans as well as the Tokelauans —from the myriad islands of Kiwa's oceanrealms, it would be right to say that this was the first such festival in the world. A real Maori eisteddfod. The Arawas were honoured to stage this Festival. The goodwill of other important tribes in allowing Waiariki to have it made this possible. Well do we know the areas which consistently stage these contests—Turangawaewae of the Maori Queen Te Atairangikaahu of the Tainui confederation, and Ngaiterangi and Ngati Ranginui of the sea of Tauranga. We salute them. The New Zealand Maori Council allocated it to Rotorua, the land of the descendants of Hinemoa and her lover husband Tutanekai. The two days were thrilling and even awe inspiring. There were large crowds and ample provision and comfort in the billets for the visitors. The cooks in the rear, and Rongo or peace within, while Tu the open forum is on the marae, as the saying goes—‘that you should amass wealth so you can entertain’ —and this led to the Chairman of the Festival's Committee in his farewell speech saying ‘let's return next year to the home of hot springs’. The welcome to his Excellency the Governor-General, Sir Arthur Porritt and his retinue was over to the local dignitaries. This