FORGOTTEN CUSTOMS OF THE MAORI RACE

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 6844, 23 February 1929, Page 15

FORGOTTEN CUSTOMS OF THE MAORI RACE

Its Past and Future

MR PITAMA ADDRESSES WOMEN’S CLUB

Mesdames H. B. Free and J. Mounsey wero hostesses at the Manawatu Women’s Club’s first meeting of the year at Messrs. Collinson and Cunningkame’s rooms yesterday afternoon, a fairly good attondaneo being present. Following afternoon tea and several delightful musical items contributed by Mrs. Powdrell (guitar solos), musical monologues and songs contributed by Mis It. Butler, the Club was introduced to the speaker of the day, Mr. To Ari-Taua Pitama. Mr. Pit&ma delivered a delightful address, his subject being “Tho Forgotten Customs of the Maori,” and from start to finish he held his listeners’ rapt attention. It was a great opportunity and a great honour, ho said, to speak on a race so little understood at the present time, and he -would take the opportunity to quote some lines from one of New Zealand’s most famous poets, Thomas Bracken, beginning: “They loved their land with all tho love intense the Maori feels. Their childhood’s home, the history of their tribe, was written on rock and hill.” He asked forgiveness if ho should in any way appear egotistical, because be would do so in the greatest sense of humility.

In, his childhodd he had become acquainted with tho three laws that operated the Social organisation of tho Maori. He had received European upbringing and had developed what ho thought was a new lino of thought; namely ,that which concerned the product or clash of colour which must eventuate betweon the Maori and the Pakeha. The greatest friend of tho Maori was tho Pakeha and his greatest enemy himself and the Pakeha.

A Tremendous Subject. Tho subject of his address, Mr. Pitama stated, was a tremendous one and he would ask his hearers to throw their minds' back to .the. history of the race and culture,of. the Western world. The West had absorbed the culture of the East—it had never, presented anything original. Its great religions, laws, art and teaching had como from the East, the Orient, Groace and Rome. When the great ships of the Pakeha loomed on the horizon of the ,Maori people, they were living their liven naturally on a parallel with the ancient Israelites —theirs was a Mosaic life with a great partriarch, the second stage of social progress. They wero primitive people, tho children of nature, and their language was like themselves, very simple, an ever mystical people, loving the psychic powers and always in contact with the spiritual forces surrounding them. Then came Christianity, the orthodox type of religion, saying to tho Maoris that the customs of thoir forefathers were wrong. “And,” said Mr. Pitama, “as I look around me to-day ,a feeling of sadness comes to mo, for tho ancient missionaries wero wrong when they said tho customs and practices of the Maoris wero not good.” One example ho cited. In tho religious system of to-day were practised spiritual work and higher thought, and there were many other instances. All these, he said, were the practices of the primitive Maori, and looking at the question with what ho termed his Pakeha-Maori eyes, he saw that it was not so much tho ancient Maoris who wero wrong after all.

‘‘All Chiefs.’ The patriarchial system had three divisions. In ancient England these wero the barons and the cerfs; the Maoris had chiefs, commoners, and slaves. “I divide them into one class,” said

the speaker. “That is, all chiefs.” They were certainly inon of wonderful physique,- and this, was duo only ts the fact that they had strong mother* and good mothers. . There were no weaklings and no such things as asylums; no deformities. They lived natural lives; they loved the water and the sun, and the stars by night; they traversed the countryside; they hunted the weka; they gambled with the wind and played ping-pong with nature. They were certainly a wonderful pe'oplo. 'The first law that governed the Maori was the law of holiness. Food to him, all that entered the body, was a sacred thing. Ho believed in neithet heaven nor hell and he kept his laws very strictly. .... • - Then there was the law of marriage. To the Maori, marriage was just a natural process. There was no ceremony.

Intermingling of Races. Ever since the advent of Christianity, the Maori had lost his . identity. Endeavours were made toArehs' him up in European clothes, to educato him, and make him .into lawyer,, saint, intellectual. This was V not ‘ what was wanted. The only thing he could see for the future of the race, the speaker said, was that it must become intermingled with .the' Pakehas.' . And the question of the 'Maori' was the- .question of tho gradual development .and evolution, and intermingling of these races. :

It would bo a very interesting study for students of ethnology and sociology to watch the trend of the ;future. Ratana.

Mr. Pitama next considered Ratana. Ratana, ho said, was the greatest Maori who had ever lived. He was not an intellectual —he was very simple and had a very big heart,- but he was the cleverest man the Maoris had yet seem

It did not matter, tho speaker said, how much a Maori had been educated or how long ho had lived with Europeans, he was nlways a Maori at heart. It was the future people had to look forward to realising that tho past and the present were mere things that had to fall into oblivion; it was the future

they had to look forward to, knowing full well they would not be able to retain the Maori with all his ancient customs and wonderful instincts of life. And the future of the Maori race do pended upon the future Maori mothers. Mr. Pitama appealed to his hearers as members of the great family :ol humanity to see that the Maori wontoa of tho future were not contaminated with things unnatural, but that whei they came stretching their arms and praying for the water of life and the real meaning of true motherhood, tl(ey should not bo denied.

He concluded with a further quotation of tho great New Zealand, poet, A hearty vote of thanks to Mr Pitama was carried with acclamation, tho opportunity also being taken t« wish, him many happy returns for hi* birthday, which falls to-day. Th* artists ■ were also thanked tot. their delightful items.