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Māori gather at the Rotorua Racecourse to greet the Prince of Wales. The Dominion Museum party of Elsdon Best, Johannes Anderson and James McDonald took the opportunity to be present and record on film the Arawa pōwhiri to the visiting iwi at the reception camp. Also capturing images of Ngāi Tūhoe in the same vein as earlier ethnographic expeditions.
NZFA title: He Pito Whakaatu I Te Hui I Rotorua: Scenes at the Rotorua Hui.
He mea whakaahua nā James McDonald o te Whare Taonga o Aotearoa i te tau 1920. Filmed by James McDonald of the Dominion Museum in 1920.
Ngā whakaahua i te papa-purei-hōiho mō te haerenga mai o te Piriniha o Wēra, Āperira 1920. Preparations at the racecourse for the Prince of Wales' visit, April 1920.
Truck travelling along road, bales of hay on back, 3 workers sitting on bales. Change of angle as it drives past. Another truck - pipes on back - woman sits on back. Change of angle as truck drives off.
Workers loading sheaves onto back of truck. Distinctive church-like building in background [This is in fact the totaliser board for showing the odds on horses and how much they would pay out if they finish in the money. LLW 24/05/2013].
Truck drives off, laden with sheaves, and is then unloaded - sheaves put under flaps, of large white tent.
Ka pōwhiritia ngā ope Māori. The welcome to the visiting tribes.
Group of men, slowly advancing. They wear suits, overcoats and hats.
Man in white collar-less shirt, brandishing taiaha. Crowds advancing.
Large group of women, waving greenery. Some wear korowai. Man, wearing korowai, moves before them, facing them, brandishing taiaha Large group of men, also with greenery. Man walks before them as above.
Ko Mita Taupopoki o Te Arawa. Mita Taupopoki of Te Arawa.
Mita addressing crowd. He wears tāniko headband, kahukiwi and leans on tokotoko. Camera angle changes to reveal the setting in which he speaks.
Pan across assembled crowd.
Mita walking towards and away from camera.
Mita meeting with others - they hongi. The other visitors, some hongi, others shake hands. An old man turns to face camera. People passing camera.
Tribal flags flying, among them: Apumoana, Tutauroa, Ngāti Parua, Hinekura
Back of truck, men unloading sacks of potatoes.
3 men at bench, filling buckets with hot liquid. 3 other men pass them pushing a food trolley.
James McDonald also took the opportunity to film Ngāi Tūhoe waiata, hand and string games, flute playing and traditional skills such as fire making and stone drilling:
He Whakaari i ngā Mahi-ā-ringa a te Māori. Demonstrations of various activities.
Ko Te Pehi rāua ko Paitini Wi Tapeka o Ruatāhuna. Elsdon Best with Paitini Wi Tapeka of Ruatāhuna.
The two men, standing in front of tent. They are talking - Best asking Paitini questions using hand gestures. Walking through field of long grass, Best continues talking to Paitini.
Ētahi whakangahau a Ngāi Tūhoe. Ngāi Tūhoe action songs and haka. Group. 2 men in suits, 2 women in coats and dresses performing action song. Cut to the 2 men performing.
He tī ringa (matimati) tā Makurata rāua ko Te Wharemutu e whakaari nei. Makurata and Te Wharemutu play hand games.
Makurata wears kiwi cloak over dress. Te Wharemutu wears cloak also. They kneel, playing (hand clapping game).
Kei te whiu teka. Dart throwing. Man throwing long dart. He stands in a paddock, wearing dark cardigan and breeches. A woman sits beside him. He throws the dart. This is Te Rangiua and his wife Te Wharemutu.
He mū tōrere te mahi a Te Rangiua rāua ko Te Wharemutu. Te Rangiua and his wife Te Wharemutu play mu tōrere (draughts).
The couple are seated, watched by small boy, as they play the game on a board.
Kei te wiri kōhatu. Stone drilling.
Same group as above. Te Rangiua uses drill on stone held on a board by his wife. Change in camera angle. Close up of drill and stone. Group shot.
Kei te orooro pounamu. Greenstone cutting.
Te Rangiua's hands cutting pounamu on a board watched by his wife. Side view - he is watched by small boy.
Kei te hikahika ahi. Fire-making.
Makurata in kiwi cloak, Paitini Wi Tapeka, and another man in cloak. They are huddled together, man is starting fire, watched and assisted by the other. CU hands at work - smoke rising - they blow the fire to get it started, placing grass and kindling to keep it going.
Ko Te Kiwi Amohau o Ōhinemutu - kei te whakatangi kōauau. Te Kiwi Amohau of Ōhinemutu playing the flute.
He whai. String games.
Group seated - Makurata makes whai, watched by others. Elsdon Best in foreground. Anderson takes notes. Pākehā couple at right attempt to copy the whai. Te Rangiua making whai, watched by his wife Te Wharemutu and boy. She helps to hold the figures for the camera. Older Māori woman dressed in dark suit and white hat with black band makes whai. Makurata making whai.