AT TE ORE ORE PA

Wairarapa Times-Age, 9 August 1938, Page 8

AT TE ORE ORE PA

A NOTABLE GATHERING. (To the Editor.) Sir, —As a keen and admiring constant reader of your journal’s admirable “Maori Memories” series of daily contributions to literature upon . such an interesting subject, might I again be permitted to trespass upon your valuable space to place on record, as it were, the recent wedding breakfast associated with the Pike-Gust wedding at Ngatauewaru Meeting House, Te Ore Ore Pa, at all-Native ceremonial hands, from an observer's point of view. In the words of the Rev John Davie, in proposing the toast of the “Bride and Bridegroom,” the occasion was unique and highly commendable in every way, linking together the respect of the bridegroom and his people over a long period of years for all members of the Maori race in all parts of Wairarapa and the traditional hospitality of Maori people hm-e and everywhere in New Zealand oy way of fitting and ceremonious response; and the bridegroom’s own words of heartfelt thanks for the signal way in which the Maori Ladies’ Committee, under the capable direction of Mrs Moana Remini, had honoured the occasion of his wedding to one whom he felt sure would in time become, as already indicated that way,, a further link in the inseparable Pike family-Maori chain. Their tribal gifts to the bride and himself would be worn on all ceremonial occasions to which they may in future be invited in any part of New Zealand, as worn so proudly for the first time that night. As Mr Paku and Mr Raharuhi had, in such a grand tribal manner, raised ’ his new status to that of a Weraiti local chieftain among his Maori brethren, he could but feel it was up to himself and life partner henceforth to so act. To. all present among Europeans at so unique a gathering of warmly-welcomed invited guests, he in return gave thanks for their gifts to both bride and himself, and, commended them henceforth, if not already so, to become the Maori people’s best friends. Arriving at the Pa after the wedding ceremony at Knox Church, and in the face of a cold winter rain, the unusual sight of the pa being spectacularly illuminated by the bright glare of electric lamps and the soft warm glow of Maori cooking ovens here and there and the big log fire burning to warm the hands and hearts of the near three hundred visitors arriving by bus and cars from all parts of the surrounding districts (even from distant Pongaroa that same evening) well might one exclaim “the ancient mana and tribal prestige of our local Maori people has not, as was thought, disappeared after all.” Witnessing the perfect arrangements made inside the historic building itself for the wedding feast—a place for everyone and everyone to his place, the raised dais and all—reminded one of best saloon service in ocean liners at sea at carnival time. Not a thing forgotten, a spoon, fork, knife or dish out of place not a guest unattended to or inadvertently unserved, the feasting and speech making and toast making rolled on without interruption to its end; when, everything ; moved out of sight for its introduction, the musical and dance making side of the night’s programme came on. Ancient and ' hoary-headed chiefs and as aged tribesmen and their once youthful and lissom-limbed brides, took part in both the tribal and .the more modern European dance numbers with as much gusto and decorum as the youngest and most Europeanised members of their tribe; and a keener interest, it was noted, in all that was by way of ceremonial either done or said, at fitting interludes, as the night wore itself to the nearer hours of the dawn. Never before in the history of Wairarapa Natives has such a unique ceremony as this been seen by young or old, and its future telling of is safe in today’s younger Maori generation partakers when they, too, are old as these their progenitors by then long passed away; and they, in turn—not very likely at such a gathering of this unique character—more than lookers on. Casting unversed eyes upon the beams and rafters of the historic building, which most guests think must have provided some Maori artist with inordinate delight to trace in crazy fashion a sort of Einstein display of misjudged art 'and scrolls in long years past, when, in 1840, the “Ngatauewaru” meeting house was first built, one becomes abashed at learning for the first time-Mrom Mr Anaru —.that each board and beam and rafter design is distinctly different from its fellow from one end of the building to the other, and each one symbolic of its whatever wind, whereby its tribal inhabitants can read the whole story of its building; its national Maori significance; and, in particular, the recorded local history of this now —but remnant, once all-powerful sub-branch of its whatever kind, whereby its triwhole Ngati Kahungunu tribe which, under dire threat of their extinction, stood four square in defence and protection of the newly-arrived Wellington settlers at the time “Ngatauewaru”— tonight so densely thronged with European visitors of the same pioneer parentage in many cases—was but newly built. Masterton, in turn, must do something towards helping along its “Restoration Fund” out of the wealth reaped by such erstwhile loyal protection of life itself of people who unreminded are vaunting their wealth since acquired, in other directions. These little matters of grateful remembrance we are so easily apt to forget.—l am, etc,, N.J.B. Masterton, August 7.