CREMATION CONTROVERSY

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1021, 11 July 1930, Page 1

CREMATION CONTROVERSY

NATIVES’ CONDEMNATION MAINTAINED

ANSWER TO APPEAL Strong disapproval at the cremation of Sir Maui Pomare was expressed by speakers at a meeting of the Akarana Maori Association last evening. A resolution passed expressing the association’s opinions is to' be brought under the notice of the Government. " This week, the Leader of the OpPOsitlen, the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates, appealed to the natives of Taranaki, members of Sir Maui’s tribe, the Xsatt-Awa. and of Auckland to make the burden of Lady Pomare as light a* possible by not persisting in tbe cdticism of the cremation when the mm reaches New Zealand. Maoris are alreadj’ predicting that » controversy will begin hotly when •he time comes to arrange a native “»na! ceremony. is, however, apparently not inp , 10 refuse to give the traditional ™iynesian death chants and incantaooos at the ceremony, which is expected to be as large as that at the of Sir James Carroll. The jxaorlg maintain, at the same time, Mat their resentment at the cremajCU not be lessened. They de**l* that there has been a serious tS C * a k a * Ilht racial practice, th • Taranakl tribesmen persist that * "theral arrangements of Sir Maui 1 J 1 merely the interest of the tltav * m mediate family, but also of Jr, N Mti-Awa tribe. Mr. James Ruku- ' “tnirman of the Akarana Associau, contends that it was the duty of "Wive Department to have arboitv tlle em balmment of Sir Maui's that n,^ 0 Mr - Coates has replied Lari', the Government’s cable asking tar-v/omare to have the body recital 1 .? New Zealand from San Franafte,. Tv not reac h Lady Pomare until jf tae cremation. ® Ten ing, the Akarana Associafltaiwr 6re< * lo ’ ts °Pt n ' on that the L J-tmn should have been prevented *as >? “ overnr nont. This resolution “Th? 88e<1 ’ after a discussion: 18 meeting does not understand Wth r, news of Sir Maui Pomare’s •ootMr ** not reach New Zealand eernJi i*, 1 ",. why tbe Government couH, not think fit to confer on tfc ° o< * of d lB P o 3al of the corpse haortfV 1 r efer the question to the 15- | 8 lor Anal jijeeision. This meetcr em»M Unan * mou,s l n disapproving of to Mar,°i U 48 being completely foreign maorl custom." “Jfilllltn*,.