Uepohatu welcome - speaker addresses the gathering

awatere-freyberg.jpg

A third speaker, from Taranaki, addresses the gathering during the pohiri at Uepohatu Marae, Ruatoria in 1947.

The marae hosted events held on the 12th and 13th of September that included cultural competitions with local school children and the opening of the Uepohatu War Memorial Hall. The hall was built to commemorate East Coast soldiers who died during the two World Wars. 

A reunion of ex-service people (including members of the Maori Battalion) was also held. 

At the Investiture held on the second day, seventeen decorations were presented to servicemen and women who had served abroad and on the home front.

The gathering was an important one. attended by thousands including the Prime Minister Peter Fraser, the Leader of the Opposition Sidney Holland and other members of Parliament.  Sir Bernard Freyberg, the Governor General opened the hall and unveiled two memorial tablets inside.

Transcription

Nga mema nei tena koutou, nga iwi tena koutou, nga iwi o te motu tena koutou. E Api, tenei ra to reo kua tae atu, rongo mai te kakara, ta tatau tamaiti a Moana-nui-a-Kiwa me tona whaea Materoa i te (unknown). Kua mate to koroua, Rangiwhakateka. Tera Hiruharama ki tenei Hiruharama. No reira Hemi? Hemi? Karanga atu ki nga iwi o te motu. Tena koutou, tena koutou.

Heoi ano te take i tae mai ai tera pito o te Tai Hauauru, a, koia tenei te ra i karangahia nei. Kati noa nga korero i nga e korerotia nei, he whakatu he whare mo a tatau tamariki i nga toa o te pakanga. Kua tu toku whare whakairo, whare karakia, mo nga tama toa, na to tatau matua nana i whakawhetai. No reira, i runga i te mea kua karangatia mai nei tenei tenei pito o te Tai Hauauru.

Tena koutou te puku o te Ika. Taranaki tatau i haere mai nei. Tenei ra i  haere mai nei ki te tautoko i to tatau koroua, i nga taonga i ruia nei e ia nana nei ki runga i a tatau. Tenei a tatau tamariki, ko au e kii ana, kia mapu tatau haere mai. Hare mai ki runga i tenei ka tu ko nga kainga hou ma nga tamariki. Kaua e tatari kia mate tetahi katahi ka mahi ai tatau. Haere mai tatau ka wahawaha nga tira. No reira tena koutou, tena nga iwi o te motu kei te nui tatau hei korero no reira tena koutou nga iwi katoa. Ki a tatau tamariki, ahakoa kua mutu te pakanga, e takoto mai nei nga putake o te (unknown), nga ??.

Kia a tatau tamariki, kia rongo te (Eotota?) kia tangihia, kia mihia. Kia tangi ki a ratau, kati ka tu reiti i te ra nei kaore i tae mai, o tatau kaumatua. Tena koutou, tena koutou. Kati nei tena koutou.

[Crowd applause]

Hemi, e Ngata, to kotiro a Heni ka nui te mate [words indecipherable] 

[Audio cuts out]

Reference:

Sound file from Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision, ref: 43116. Any re-use of this audio is a breach of copyright.

Image: Porikapa Awatere accompanies Governor-General Sir Bernard Freyberg at the opening of Uepohatu War Memorial Hall on 13 September 1947. 
Alexander Turnbull Library.  Ref: A004827.

Submitter:
Submitted by mbadmin on

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