Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-03-05
MONUMENT TO
MAORI CHIEF
nttioers Of lions Association
Take steps to Perpetuate
His Memory.
vlRInI wHAANeA TRIBUTE.
-, ,o All Returned Elders from
australasia Brings Prompt Re-
sponses in subscriptions.

nm. Officers of zion's Maori asso-
o,,on have now taken steps for the
a,,nn Of a monument in honor of the
49, tI,rtni Whaanga, the well known
49,, chief. who resided In Salt Lake
I,t,, fo, many years prior to his death
An appeal has been made to all re-
.,rned elders from Australasia and thu
committee feels very much encourages
NV the prompt response received 10
date.
Tho contract has been let by the
,,,,,,,,nent committee and the inten-
tion is to unveil the monument, with
suitable ceremonies, on Decoration day.
The committee in charge desire to
hear from ali the elders and some of
Inc circulars have been returned In
consequence of changed addresses. All
who have not already done so, are re-
u,lested to report at once TO the secre-
fairy. James N Lambert, care Lambert
paper company, Salt Lake City.
THE following comment from the I'M
proyement Era was embodied in the
circular sent to the elders:
"a character worthy of special no :
tice was Hirini Whaanga, a chief of
the Maories, who died at the l.. d. S.
hospital, on the morning of Oct. II,
1905. He was baptized by Elder j. c.
Stewart, in 1882, having been one OF
the first to welcome, shelter and obtain
an audience for the elders OF the
Church of Jesus Christ of atter-day
Saints. in the New Zealand mission. He
( was born on the eastern coast of New
Zealand, in 1928, and was the son Of
Ihaka Whaanga, a descendant of q long
line of chiefs of the Ngatlkahungunu
tribe of Maories, the strongest tribe Of
the island. Hirini succeeded his faith
er as chief and was in command when
I.atter-day Saint elders labored there.
AS tho converted chief began to UNI
derstand the gospel better, he expressed
a wish to come to Zion to perform tenn
pie work for his ancestors and accord
ingly came to Utah, in 1894, settling
first in Kanab but year later in Salt
Lake City, where he has resided and
been n worker In the temple ever since,
excepting one year. 1t was in 1898 that
he went to his native country to preach
the gospel and gather genealogies. He
was met by his people and accorded
every honor due n king. He returned
in 1899. having travelled on horseback
on tour of the isla preaching in
almost every settlement and bearing
faithful testimony to the truth of the
gospel. Before he came to Utah, he
built home for the entertainment of
the missionaries whom he always made
welcome, and many converts werc
made through his assistance. The
members OF the Church now number
over 1000 natives. lions Maori assoc
citation built him a home in Salt Lake
City, as a return for his kindness, and
here he resided to the end. Here also
his wife, Mere Whaanga, a grand
child, sister in-law, two nephews aud
a niece, still reside. Three married
daughters survive him in New Zealand.
The missionaries did all that could be
done for a dear friend, during his last
days. They took charge of his funeral
and with mourning and deep esteem,
on Sunday END, laid his body TO rest
In the cemetery. When the news of his
passing reaches New Zealand, thou
sands will celebrate the mourning SER
vice for the dead, for his people still
revered him as chief and a leader.
His life affords remarkable les
son. king content to live In strange
land, and with strange people as a
humble member of the Church of
Christ. Surely Hirini Whaanga pre-
ferred the riches of eternal life. before
the wealth OF this earth, and the hon
ors of men.