GREAT NATIVE MEETING.

King Country Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 393, 6 September 1911, Page 5

GREAT NATIVE MEETING.

THE PROGRAMME. The clans are gathering, and preparations being made for the greatest native meeting ever held in modern Te Kuiti. Large tents are being erected round the site of the ancient Maori meeting house, that for a dining hall accommodating 200 sitters at one time. It is difficult to forecast the probable attendance, estimates amongst prominent natives varying so much. Mr Pepene Eketone, however, is a fairly safe guide, and he estimates fully 1500 will be present. The. proceedings will probably be opened on Friday, and amongst the subjects which will be discussed are the following: Maoritnnga (Maori customs). 2. Tekanga e ropi ai nga iwi Maori o Aotearoa mete Waipounamu (combining of the Maoris in the North and South Island). 3. Ture (laws of the country). 4. Whakapono (faith). 5.

Rou Taimariki (the Young Maori Party). Sir James Carroll (Native Minister) and the Hon. A. G. Ngata are to be present on Saturday, when they will address the gathering. The name Te Kuiti in its old and lengthened form of Te Kuitianga, meant the gathering of the whole people into a narrow place, as old Te Kuiti was, when situate in the gorge a mile above the present town. Shortened to Te Kuiti the name means The Narrows, and it seems appropriate that near the place where fifty years ago 4000 natives had gathered to dwell, in modern days, we should have a great gathering to further the interests of the native people.