Places

Date: 1929

Reference: Eph-D-MAORI-1929-01

Description: Poster is a proclamation to all tribes of New Zealand, and differentiates Aotearoa (the North Island) from Te Wai Pounamu. The text is in a poetic form of Maori with the logo of the newspaper Te Paki o Matariki at the top centre. The text announces the opening of the house at Ngaruawahia on Monday the 18 March 1929. Guest would arrive on Friday 15 March for the powhiri. The following day the Ngaruawahia Regatta would be held. There would be prayers and meetings on the Sunday, and the opening of the house on Monday morning, followed by the Maori Lawn Tennis Tournament at 2 pm. The text appears over the name of the King, Rata Mahuta Potatau Te Wherowhero. Staff Maori Curator Paul Diamond comments (February 2013) that the Maori language used is poetic, with the heading "He niu ka torona" being a quotation from King Tawhiao (He niu ka torona ki nga iwi katoa = A staff is being held forth to all the tribes). Sir Apirana Ngata was one who attended this hui. The Ngata entry in the DNZB continues: "But there were tragic consequences for the Ngata family. At the hui Ngata's eldest son, Makarini, contracted dysentery and Ngata's wife, Arihia, nursing him at home, caught it too. Both died before they could get proper medicine. Ngata was devastated, and for a time there was bad blood between Ngati Porou and Tainui. But Ngata's close working relationship with Te Puea continued and her land development schemes survived. When she had a row with one of the Pakeha supervisors of a scheme, Ngata sided with her, sacked the Pakeha, and put Te Puea in his place". Quantity: 1 colour art print(s). Physical Description: Letterpress, blue ink on cream paper, 540 x 422 mm.