PASSING OF A CHIEF.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 67, 14 March 1912, Page 4

PASSING OF A CHIEF.

ANOTHER RINK WITH MAORI AVARS BROKEN. , DEATH OF NOA WHAKA-ATERE. (Per Press Association.) Gisborne, March 13. Non Whaka-atere, one of the bestr known Maori rangatiras in the district, parsed away at . Awapuni. .on Saturday, ’.afternoon at ,theiagepof three score years and tep. iPfcipr to Ins .‘death, lie.had been unwell for several i days, l from heart ,trouble, qindi on Saturday afternoon expired rather' •suddenly after having ; been• oarried., ,ov.t£|’id e <t'he kajnga, as ; he expressed it,if “to have a look round.”. The deceased chief was widely respected by Maori and pakeha alike, ,;\iid all day yesterday, and to-day, naAivfisi in large, numbers .have assemr, bled at Awapuni to take part in the (Customary tangi in honour of the deceased. i Noa AVhaka-atere, is declared to have .beep the largest hatjye land, owner , abound Gisborne. He was an uncle of itady Carroll. That his word, was, his bond was Noa.V proud boast, and the ~ honesty, and integrity of the departed chief was.put to a severe test during the trying days of the-Hauhmr rising ;’ —those dark and blood-stained days of this district’s history.. , T -■! i< •> 0 Noa belonged to tlie Ngaitete tribe, a sub-tribe of the Rongowhaka-ata, and lived at the Opete pa, of which Para tone Turangi was the rangatira., i?o opposed were the natives to the (fanatical religion of the Hauhans, that Noa, with a number of others, paid a special visit to Auckland to -consult with Sir Donald McLean, the bead of the Native Department. Sir Donald was unable to provide any 'troops for the friendly natives, ,but. ho presented them with a British Ensign., They returned home with the injunction to keep the flag flying as evidence of their loyalty to the pakeha, and this they did. Their friendship and loyalty to the ipakeha was put to practical demonstration dining Te Kooti’s revengeful visit tp the district, ,Opete pa was taken by surprise on the morning of November 10, 18SS, when a number of .the local natives were put to death. (Paratene Turangi (of whom Lady (Carroll is a grandchild) was taken prisoner by Te Kooti, who hacked off his ■right arm, placing it under the chief’s head. Te Kooti declared: “There is the arm that is going to protect the pakeha!” Subsequently he put (the chief to death. Net-withstanding all this, .Noa and his people remained loyal. They, escaped to Waikanae pa, where the flag was rehoisted and kept flying.