HAERE MAI

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 3, Issue 650, 30 September 1933, Page 4

HAERE MAI

WAIKATO AND ARAWAS, OLD RIVALS IN FRIENDLY STRUGGLE Haere mai ra, e t© manuhiri Tu rangi ! Na taku potiki koe i tiki ki te tal tu o te Rangi kukume mai at — Hae Mai! Welcome! lordly and distinguish guest ! 'Twas my son that called a: brought thee from the far horizonWelcorne! yea — thrice welcome! (By Tainui-Te Arawa) The year 1836 saw the pow'erf fierce and warlike Waikatos led the celebrated king-maker Wirei Tamehana Te Waharoa plant the selves on Arawa domains at Mat puku the plateau immediately to t west of the Koutu station. Ma and varied were the reasons for t "overt act." It is however su cient that they were in quest of ! man trophies.

For days the Arawas had fo gathered on Pukeroa Hill the m impregnable of the Ngati Whake Pas to resist this invasion and 1 and heated were the discussions ti took place as to the modus operat In disgust the local paramount chj Korokai uttered his defiant cry "1 my heritage I will give my life hui will be given on none other." Yoil blood paid no heed; took the fighii the enemy's quarters and the Arai lost the day. Thus the WaikJ were one up. 1 The venue changed, for the rl -nant of Arawas followed up thel treating Waikatos, . paid off the sfl at Matamata and eqnalised niattel Civilisation and the tread of I great white man roused the cont« ing tribes to the march of a I greater and nobler struggle. "3 to the land" sounded Sir Apiil Ngata; so our panorama under M another change. Ably led and hal ed by Princess Te Puea — eapablel businesslike — the Waikatos now « side by side in friendly rivalry ■ the Arawas — marshalled and geB alled by our esteemed president-B winning back the soil. a Contemporaneously the ArJ stole a march and brought back the far horizon the Tainui-ManiaS Cup. In their wake follows Pn« Te Puea with her cohorts to ma* recover the same. Whc indeed V grudge her success if she succeet* i Illustrious lady! we — PakehasB Maoris — re-echo the words "■ come! yea — thrice welcome! ■