Better Understanding Of Maori Culture Urged

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32142, 11 November 1969, Page 18

Better Understanding Of Maori Culture Urged

New Zealand could not hope to achieve a more integrated society until steps were taken to ensure that all New Zealanders, shared the cultural riches bt the Maori people, the president of the Christchurch branch of the United Nations Association (the Rev. T. P. Cipher) told the branch's annual meeting last eventag. ‘lt has been suggested, not unfairly perhaps, that we are sometimes so busy examining the international conscience with regard to race relations that we neglect to examine our own,” said Father Cloher. “It is an elemental truth, after all, that the nations cannot be completely united until the individual nation is united. “Now, bow united is New Zealand from a racial viewpoint? If we are honest we must surely admit that integration between Maori and pakeha is limited. We exist side by side rather than with eacn cuier.

Father Cloher said that to his mind the painful thing about this was that New Zealanders bad not really wished this on themselves.

“It has happened as a result of non-policy concerning the transmission of Maori culture,” he said. “It has come through the wholesale and woeful neglect of the Maori culture and history. “Surely, we should long since have bad some basic acquaintance with the Maori language. It is just pitiful that thousands of pakehas live In towns and areas which have Maori names and do not know what they mean. “We use the names as if they belonged to us rather titan to the Maori and we are either too lazy or indifferent to ask what the names mean; at least that would be a be-

ginning in reaching for a better understanding of Maori history and culture,” he said. Father Clotier said that he sincerely hoped that someone in authority would get something going in New Zealand that would give a genuine insight into the Maori history and culture.