Page 8 - 1975 News Clippings

Mourners gather for carver’s tangi

Hundreds of mourners New Zealand House in
from throughout New London.
Zealand will be gathering at His art is also
Turangawaeae Marae over represented in the meeting
the next few days to pay their houses at the Polynesian
last respects at the tangi for Cultural Centre in Laie,
Wiremu Te Ranga Poutapu - Hawaii.
master carver and revered Mr Poutapu’s latest
Maori elder - who died in work was on the decorations
Ngaruawahia yesterday. of the new Kimiora cultural
Mr Poutapu, 70, had centre at Turangawaewae,
been ill for some time. and at the time of his death
Known as Piri, Mr was planning the construction
Poutapu was a master carver of a fleet of river canoes
for Turangawaewae Marae - under partial construction at
home marae of the Maori MR POUTAPU the marae.
Queen - for most of his life. As a leading elder of
He spent a lifetime carver who helped construct Waikato he helped receive
perpetuating the arts of the Ngatokimata-whorua the many distinguished visitors
Maori and scores of meeting great war canoe at Waitangi, to Turangawaewae and was
houses throughout New Tamanako and Rangatahi, the presented to Queen Elizabeth
Zealand and many canoes are war canoes made at II in February last year.
the result of his Turangawaewae in 1938 and Today, Mr Poutapu’s
craftsmanship. he supervised the body was lying in Pare
Mr Poutapu was construction of Tahere-tikitiki Waikato, the meeting house
awarded the MBE in last canoe in 1972. of the tangata whenua (the
year’s Queen’s Birthday Mr Poutapu’s work on local people).
honours list. Taheretikitiki was of crucial A funeral service will be
He was a member of the importance in canoe held on Sunday at 11 a.m.,
Maori Queen’s Council of construction. He was the last followed by the burial on
12, an elder of the Ngati- of the skilled canoe builders sacred Taupiri Mountain.
koroki sub-tribe and resided and through this canoe he Mr Poutapu is survived
at Ngaruawahia most of his transmitted his knowledge to by three sons and a daughter.
life. a new generation. The Maori Queen,
Born at Maungatautari In all he trained 18 Dame Te Atairangikaahu will
in 1905 Mr Poutapu moved carvers. not be returning from
with his family to He was responsible also overseas to attend the funeral,
Raungawari near Pukekawa for the renovation of Te a marae spokesman said
in 1910 then to Winika canoe in 1972 prior to today.
Turangawaewae Marae when its presentation to the Dame Te Ata travelled
it was re-established in 1921. Waikato Museum. to Britain in June, and for the
He trained as a carpenter He trained the late Inia past six weeks has been
and when his carving talent Te Wiata in the art of carving visiting Europe and the US.
became evident was sent to and he directed the She is due back in New
the Ohinemutu carving completion of the pou which Zealand at the end of the
school in Rotorua in 1926. Inia had partially completed month.
He was the surviving and which was destined for