Ogden Daily Standard | 1919-06-12 | Page 9 | Great Feast for Maori Battalion at Auckland

GREAT FEAST FOR MAORI BATTALION AT AUCKLAND AUCKLAND, New Zealand, Ifa -(Correspondence of the Associated Press) The battalion of Maoris. New Zealand aborigines, who fought in the Gallipoli campaign and afterward in France, has been welcomed home with a great feast, hakas (wat dances) and tangi. or lament 'or those who fell in battle The acting prime minister, Sir James Allen, told them, You Maoris hold a proud position. ou have not one conscript." From the time of its formation for-mation earl in the war the Maori battalion bat-talion was maintained at a strnth of 1200 entirely by oluntary enlistment. Great quantities of mutton, beef, pork, and other food had been baked in earthen ovens for the occasion A.bout 2,000 Maoris in all shared in this feast There were several poi (a native delicacy) dances The tangl was a scene of much emo lion The soldiers sat by tribes encircled en-circled by sorrowing natives Led by their chiefs, the mournerfl grieved with low, wailing chants for those of their race who will never return. AM the treasured heirlooms of the tribes had been brought from their safekeeping for the welcome. There were jade ornaments, mats, chieftains' head dresses and beautiful kilts The chief) of the various tribes delivered speech es of welcome couched in florid South Sen language, after which there was a haka by the famous Arawa tribe and the speech of ffelcome bv Sir James Allen. no .