New Block at Turakina

Te Ao Hou, 1971, Page 29

New Block at Turakina Mrs M. Poananga, one of the original pupils in 1905 and dux of the college in 1906 is the first to enter the new dining room block pictures by National publicity Studies In opening the new dining block at Turakina Maori Girls' College, Marton, the Minister of Maori Affairs, the Hon. Duncan MacIntyre said that times had changed considerably in the 65 years since the college had opened with the aim of training Maori girls in hygiene and homecraft so that they could prove to be adequate mothers. He was interested to hear of the achievements of past pupils, many of them leaders in their communities, and to note the increasing number of present pupils passing School Certificate English. Mr MacIntyre spoke of the need to progress in education, housing, employment, health and land development, but stressed, ‘We must strongly emphasis the culture, the customs and the traditions of the Polynesian peoples living in New Zealand. We must look closely at the social organisations and ways you express yourselves to make sure that the very foundations which give you security and strength are not chopped from under you. After almost three hours of speeches and entertainment, the new block was opened by Mr Maclntyre and dedicated by Dr Ian Fraser, the immediate past Moderator of the New Zealand Presbyterian Church. After being shown through the new dining room block the Minister is escorted round the college grounds by senior pupils

Prime Minister of Canada, the Rt Hon, Pierre Trudeau, accompanied by Mr Vernon Winitana, picks up the challenge stick outside Arohanui-ki-te-tangata On the second day of a rushed four-day visit to New Zealand last May, the Canadian Prime Minister, the Rt Hon. Pierre Elliot Trudeau, was given a Maori welcome at Arohanui-ki-te-Tangata meeting house in Waiwhetu, Lower Hutt. Escorted onto the marae by Mr Vernon Winitana, Mr Trudeau accepted the traditional challenge and watched with great interest as members of the Mawai Hakona Maori Association performed the welcoming powhiri. Visitors and hosts then moved into the meeting house for speeches of welcome, Mawai Hakona complementing them with action song, poi, and haka. Mr Kara Puketapu spoke instead of his father, Mr Ihaia Puketapu, welcoming Mr Trudeau on behalf of the local Maori people and representatives of other tribes. He quoted the saying of one of his ancestors, ‘Welcome, stranger from a strange land: there is room for you and me together’.