Bay of Plenty Beacon Published Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. MONDAY, MAY 1, 1950

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 15, Issue 28, 1 May 1950, Page 4

Bay of Plenty Beacon Published Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. MONDAY, MAY 1, 1950

MAORI CELEBRATIONS The plan to hold celebrations at Whakatane to celebrate the 600th anniversary of the landing, of the Matatua canoe is a good one and one that should be supported by all residents of the town and district. Maori and Pakeha. It is some time now since the first of such functions was held in the Bay of Plenty (at Te Kaha) when the anniversary of the arrival of several canoes was celebrated. For some unknown reason one of the main canoes, Matatua, was excluded and the people who claim direct descent have taken upon themselves to recall the arrival of their ancestors. The ommission of the Matatua from the Te Kaha celebrations was regrettable and all the more difficult to understand because these were controlled by the great Maori student, of Maori lore, Sir Apirana Ngata. He must surely know the high standing of the Matatua in Maori history and the ommission of the canoe, whether deliberate or not, 1 could only be taken by its descendants as a slight, but it is to their credit that no public outcry was made.

Matatua is well written into the history of Whakatane and the surrounding district. Whakatane owes its name to the daughter of the commander while other points of the district were named by its people. At present plans for the celebrations are only in the preliminary stage but the Maori Committee set up to deal with the question has invited the local bodies and other organisations to take part, a gesture which surely shows the desire of the Maori to have his Pakeha friends take part in his functions. No set decision has yet been reached where the celebrations-will be held. A move is afoot to have them at Te Teko, if not at Whakatane, while the Tuhoe people are keen to have them at Ruatoki.

Admittedly Te Teko has the bigger marae and could probably accommodate a greater number of people. The same could be

said about Ruatoki but the fact remains thst Whakatane and Matatua are too closely connected and Wairaka Pa is surrounded by spots connected directly with the canoe and the early settlers. But this is a question for the Maori committee to decide. The influx of the expected 3000 to 4000 visitors to the district for the celebrations will be a notable event for Whakatane and more important still with the attendance of Maori, elders, it is probable that some hitherto unknown facts may be brought ■ to light about the history of one of New Zealand’s greatest canoes and the early settlement of Whakatane.