A PAKEHA IN MAORILAND

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 6, Issue 14, 13 October 1942, Page 8

A PAKEHA IN MAORILAND

PENETRATING THE VAST UREWERA SIMPLICITY AND HOSPITALITY MYSTERY OF WAIKARE-MOANA When the rebel Te Kooti finally surrendered and the Hau Hau war of 1875 came to an his loyal supporters the warlike Tuhoe tribe, drew away sullenly to the impenetrable fastness of their own sacred Urewera country. There in the mistenshrouded peaks of the wild bushiland they loved so well they remained aloof, cut off almost completely from the halted Pakeha, who had from their own point of view been the author of their wrongs, and preserving almost intact the ancient tribal customs of the Maori of old. The silence of this vast unroaded, and almosSt unknown territory remained unbroken until the prophet Rua, again set the restless fires of rebellion aflame. The short-lived defiance of the Maori 'Messiah' however spelt the end of the Tuhoe solitude, and the road to Waikare-moana through the very heart of the bush-covered ranges carried the influence of modern progress into the Maori life of the lonely forest pahs and their interesting commouniti'es. In s'pite of this single roadl however, the Urewera with its great mass of tumbled peaks, its steep and wild range land leading into vast unchartered 1 valleys, of which even the Maoris know little, remains today a mysterious gigantic waste of hill and forest, majestically frowning diown upon the puny efforts of man and protecting in its depths the l'ast lingering links l with Maori tradition, custom and lore. The Heart of Tuhoe Tuhoe, the great oIT-shoot.of the Matatua confederation of tribes to which the majority of the Whakatanc Maoris belong, lias been entrusted in common with all other tribes Avith the conduct of their OAvn Avar efTort, and it Avas by reason of this that a BEACON representative AA*as jirivileged to participate in one of the long journej*s into the UreAvera hinterland Avith a group of Maori tribal representatives. One hundred and eighty miles from Whakatane, on the shores of magnificent Lake Waikare-moana lay our destination, a tiny Tuhoe Pah, tucked into the hillside overlooking the lilliputan toAvnship of Tuai and the miniature outline of the Waikare Hydroelectric Works. The j trip through the amazing bush land was in itself an inspiration. Every inch of the Avay Avas full of Maori history from Te Whait.i, Avhere the ancient, pah site towers aboA'e the present township to Waimako on the shores of the silver lake itself. For houcs the road led through the tall silent, forest giants that mutely marched on either side uphill and down rugged dale. Only the note of the tui broke the stillness; only an occasional deer broke coA'er to giA r e active relief to the green stillness of the forest. Historic Ruataliuna j Ruatahuna the scene of so many bloody struggles in the earlier days of Maori and, Pakeha history stands as an animated spot of civilisation in the very heart of the hills. Peopled by a carefree' sept of the '.Vuhoe tribe, the Maoris here maintain their avonderful reputation for hospitality and plied the A'isiting delegates Avith refreshments. What news of the Avar had Ave? How far had aw come? What news of their kinsmen? These and. a hundred'other questions Avert ■ answered by our Maori friends. The brief halt marked the halfway house to our tlestination and after many smiling adieus Ave sped once more into the gloom of the forest.? Waikare the Beautiful One cannot forget the first glimpse of La'ke Waikare-moana. A stony promontory affords a scene of placid beauty Avhich defies words. Mirrorlike the long arm that sweeps into the mountains reflects the blue haze of the hills, while the southern shores rise sharp into the mists of disrtance making the whole picture one of fairy-like lightness and mystery. Waikare, sleeps in her mountain fastnesses, her beauty fabled in the dim Maori legend# of the past and her fame as a tourist and health resort celebrated; throughout, the world. Tale of Swift Waters Past Lake House the forest declines., and the bracken-clad hills gradually give way to the pasturelands of the Tuai Valley. The lake

outlet a bare dozen yards across is a most amazing spectacle in itself, tlic force of water confined to so small a channel providing a scene of swift turbu]ance which makes one dizzy to behold. Hard, by the entrance stands the solitary rock which is celebrated, in the Maori legend, as to liow the lake was formed. Even to-day, beating the waters in the vicinity brings within the bare space of twenty minutes, a raging storm which makes the narrow bridge impassable. So our Maori hosts informed us at any rate, and with the 1 magic of Waikarc oil one, who would feel inclined to argue or to throw scepticism on the story. 'Welcome to our Home' Waimako Pah, lay a few miles further on, where the whole community assembled, to greet the visitors. Long speeches of welcome were poured forth and the words 'Haeremail, liaeremai, haeremai* re-echoed on all sides. Children wandered unconcernedly in and about the marae, while ancient dogs blinked lazily at the scene. At. the rear of the meet-j ing house rose the smoke and steam of the hangi, and our friends smackjed their lips in anticipation, of the j repast which was to follow the welcome ceremony. The Pakehas received the same warmth of welcome from, the young local chief and a little later there was a general movement to the whare-puni, where the tables fairly groaned under the wealth of steaming potatoes, great haunches of pork and l chops ol mutton. The writer's first introduction to pikopiko, the Maori asparagus was made at this meal with singular pleasure. Gathered from the forest, it consisted of young fronds, of a species of fern, peculiar to the country, and when cooked is regarded as a great delicacy. Wild Cherries Full justice was done to the feast, which wound up Avith lavish dishes of preserved fruits,, a prime favourite of which Ave re the delicious presetted cherries, collected and bottled from the wild groves by the Maori children. Here in the distant Urewera, rationing Avas unknoAvn, food Avas in abundance and as Ave were informed by the smiling Maori Avaitresses, there Avas plenty more, should Ave need it. I'ndeed, if the Avords of the local chief Ave re to be taken literally, Ave Avere definitely to stay a month as guests and. be regaled from daA r to day with the splendid fare that came from hany.i and forest. A Tribal Prayer l,t Avas rather surprising to note that distance has enhanced the religious: life of the Maori communities of the mountain pahs. A bell called the local population to prayer every cA r cning at 7 p.m. A hymn led by the chief, and a brief address on the more spiritual aspect of life Avas all that was needed, and the gathering broke up; the visitors to recline on the row of mattresses spread at the end, of the meeting house, the Avomen and children to their homes and the men to talk in knots of twos and threes until the hig korero commenced about 8.30, and which incidentally lasted, all night. Endless Speeches and Compliments Those Avho do not know the true Maori, can little realise the spotless n ess of the bed linen, the cleanliness of the lla.v mats Avhich Avere spread' beneath the mattresses upon which the majority of the visitors rested during the long period of debate. They Avould also be surprised to learn that the jmlloav slips AA'eie worked in green, yellow and red depicting the rata bloom, the koAVliai and other nati\ 7 e lloAvers. Maori formality now demanded a further exchange of compliments with the Pa'kehas, Avho endeavoured to make a .clumsy response to the neatly-worded message of goodwill. But the subjects ol' the great, debate Avere lost on one avlio not understanding the language could only gather that, they referred to the Avar, and the active participation of the tribe in the great effort made by the race, to local, and. tribal subjects, to the Government, its administration, ami till shades of native affairs as they could be applied lo Waimako Pali, and' the district, it covered. The Eternal 'Kai' Near midnight the sleepy one: were prodded awake Jor a f.urthei

round of preserves, cakes and tea. Possibly here is the secret, of Maori stamina —good food, and plenty of it! In any case it would be an object lesson to the fastidious Pakeha to note the heartiness which always exists around the Maori meal table. Anyway we realised that prolonged talking demanded strong sustenance, as on into the early hours went the torrent of eloquence. It is a marvel to note the inborn oratory, of which every Maori seems to be possessed. Lt is a mere nothing to see one stand for an hour holding forth on a subject which he has just contacted. All that night till grey dawn the Pakeha marvelled at this gift, and Avondered what percentage of his own people could do likewise. The night passed as a vague haze of figures rising to spea'k one after another; the burly form of paramount chief Takarua Tamerau from Kuatoki, his lieutenant Rutini, the dozen and one speakers; from the Waikare -district; all these till finally the dispersal at. 4 a.m. Am Interesting Interlude The majority of the guests promptly turned on their sides and were immediately lost to the world. Not so the Pakeha, who was: left to think, wonder and reflect upon the new phase of life which he had; by chance been permitted to see. Fitful conversations, and finally silence, though he will not easily forget the wisdom expressed in the views of one of the ladies, who in faultless English touched on subjects which would have been well over the heads of the average of her Pakeha sisters. Morning Tea for Five Sound of firewood being cut; a distant song in the valley; a child's voicei; and then the smiling presence of our waitress of the night before, as she appeared with morning tea. Everyone arose and stretched, apparently little the worse for the one or two iitfull hours of slumber which w T as all they had been permitted to have. Bowls of fresh cold water however soon dispelled any weariness which might have been present, and a stroll round the hillside filled in a pleasant half hour before a liberal breakfast. Those who have not known the fresh bracing atmosphere of the keen Urewera air, can have little conception of the splendid feeling of vigour which is bred, of those forrested mountains in the early morning. Sundlay Atmosphere It is not necessary to delve deeply into the events of that fine Sunday morning, the chain of lalkelets glistening silver in the valley, the long korero with Mr Turi Carroll from Wairoa, who came to discuss Home Guard matters and thrilled his hearers Avith liis mimicry and gesticulation, 01* the simple serA 7 ice conducted by a Maori Padre in khaki. These are things which Avent to lill another day in Maoriland all of which, indeed Avere pleasant to experience as one sat among the spectators bathed in the morning sunlight of the marae. Time, responsibilities, business ties, seemed to matter little. Nearly tAVO hundred miles of. bushland separated one from the ordered Avorld to which one had become such an inA r et.erate slave. Here everything was peaceful, carefree and simple. The very children who invaded the marae and dashed in front of the speaker, failed to detract from the interest of the assemblage, for they too seemed merely part of the correct setting. Haere Ra Pressed to stay for yet another gargantuan meal the YY liakatane party accepted the imitation and after being regaled Avith pork and potatoes, preserves of all descriptions. and tiers of cake, took their departure amidst much liandclasping, nose-rubbing and Avaving. Back on the long trail that leads to the world of the Pakeha, its restrictions, and its responsibilities. Eight hours later in Wha'katane the Pakeha members ot' the party stepped again into their proper pcrspectiA'c, Avondering slightly if they had made an}" faux pas, in their brief sojourn, Avlicthcr they had offended their hosts by not doing greater justice to the good things proA'ided by the Maori fare, and whether or not the Avliole happy experience Avere but. a. dream upon which one could merely look back and take therefrom the kindliest memories and the happiest recol- > lections of, Maori hospitality and ' courtesy.