MAORI ARTIFACTS

Grey River Argus, 22 June 1944, Page 4

MAORI ARTIFACTS

EXHIBITION AT GREYMOUTH The exhibition of Maori artifact’s now on view in the window of the Grey Electric Power Board, Mackay Street, was arranged by Mr. Roger Duff, Ethnologist of the Canterbury Museum. It is first a gesture of goodwill to those West Coasters who have, encouraged by Mr. E. L. Kehoe’s talks, deposited various material with the Museum. It is hoped also, that the exhibit will inspire interest in our Maori past, and perhaps induce other owners of such articles to place those on loan with the Museum authorities. Such deposits of course will remain in the ownership of the donor at his will and pleasure. The Museum is the .natural national'storehouse of such weapons, implements etc., as are still available to show the culture of an ancient people. In the Museum, the public generally anR students especially can view and study the story shown by these stone artifacts.

The whole display is supported by a background map showing ten maori communication routes from the North and East Coasts of the South Island, all leading to Westland.—Te Wahi POunamu, the Place of Greenstone. Just ninetyeight years ago Brunner, and Heaphy, the explorers, in 1846 saw what they called the Greenstone Country, and at the Taramakau they visited a Maori settlement. Most of the inhabitants were at that time engaged in the manufacture of greenstone weapons and ornaments. Soon afterwards this West Coast industry came to an end, the reason being of course that the steel and iron of the Pakeha had had at last completely dominated the market in the raw materials for weapons, tools, etc. The Neolithic man .had stepped aside from his age-old trade and manufacture in stone. Mr. Kehoe, and Mr. R. Barrowman are ‘honary supervisors for the Museum. They will issue Museum receipts for any deposit from the West Coast.