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Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3688, 8 September 1927, Page 1

Interest was created by the arrival at Whakatane from the Urewera Country of the well-known chief, Te Pairi Oterangi, who, the “Poverty Bay Herald” states, is the living image of the redoubtable Te Kooti, with his fierce piercing eyes and pointed black beard. The old chief is one of the few real oldtime Rangatiras left in the country, and the fact that he was going to take part in a film caused considerable trouble among the elders of his tribe, who look upon these things as “child’s play” and not befitting a man of his rank and age. Four meetings were held at Waimana and strenuous efforts were made to influence the old man from the idea of appearing in the film, but like a true liangatira his only answer to the elders of his tribp was: “I have given my word to the pakehas 1 must go.” So the old man came down to Whakatane and suffered the indignity of having his grey hairs clipped and dyed to such a faithful representation o_f Te Kooti, that it startles those who knew Maoridom’s greatest warrior and strategist. Te Pairi Oterangi is seventy-two years of age, and is as active and nimble as a man of fifty. Strangely enough he followed Te Kooti as a boy of twelve carrying ammunition, and he knows Te Kooti’s every mannerism and habit, and at a rehearsal startled the onlookers with his magnificent acting. He is also the nephew of Te Whiu, Te Kooti’s second in command and greatest friend, who was so like him in appearance that he was known as Te Kooti’s double.