ORIGIN OF MAORIS.

Grey River Argus, 3 September 1927, Page 5

ORIGIN OF MAORIS.

IN SOUTH EAST ASIA. Dr Buck’s Investigations. /r , (Aus. and N.Z. Cable Assn). (Received September 2 at 7.40 p.m.) HONOLULU, September 1. Doctor Buck, of New Zealand, who is under a five-year contract to the Bishop Museum to do ethnographic, work, departed yesterday for Samoa to undertake Polynesian research. He expressed his belief that the origin of the Polynesian race was in Asia, i Dr Buck said: “Many centuries ago, probably in the early Christian era there lived in South-Eastern Asia a people dominantly Caucasian and Mongolian, the people whom we now call the Polynesians. They began a gradual exodus, and there is evidence that they went first to Indonesia, and thence to Samoa, and that they gradually went then to New Zealand.” Dr Buck is accompanied by two other scientists. Their studies will include physical anthropology, mateiial culture, social organisation, religion, and language.