RULING NATIVE RACES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18297, 13 January 1923, Page 10

RULING NATIVE RACES.

THE FIRST ESSENTIAL, '•' . STUDY "OF TRIBAL CUSTOMS. ♦■>" , - . FACTORS IN SOCIAL COHESION.. CULTURE WILFULLY DESTROYED., ,: : v [Brj: TELEGRAPH.— ASSOCIATION.] f i . WEIUNGTON. Friday. ' Before the ©theological and anthropo- '=■'■ logical -section of ■;-the,-'Science'■: Congress this - morning, Captain Pitt-Rivers, F.R.A.1.," delivered his presidential ad- ; dress, taking is his subject, "Some pro* blems . in: mental anthropology and the problem "of civilisation." Mental anthropology, he said, was a recent arrival anuffig the soiences, but, young as it was, it was being asked to deal with vital problems. . • ■ After detailing what he considered the, essential features of this latest subdivision of the main science of anthropology, Cap* tain Pitt-Rivers proceeded to discuss its importance in relation to our dealings with uncivilised peoples whom we were called upon to govfrn, particularly in the r - Pacific ;vHe showed how contact with Europeans ' was altering the whole outlook of the native populations. Therefore, for their proper government, it was necessary that we should endeavour to discover on what principles their communities were built and were the factors making for social cohesion among them."- I ''''-;'-'-. ■' !■''' .•-,'.' . - -.■•'"■ V ■'- The ethnography of Papua and. Am Melanesian and Micronesian communities I of the Western Pacific showed ' three ;' principal-factors of social integrationchieftainship, magic. and sorcery, and a system ol"exchange of gifts, partly economic, partly ceremonial and non-econo-mic. Among these people tribal law and tribal-morality was unwritten and needed ' .no and no established church to enforce them,, Yet they were far less ;;, . transgressed than European law and morality.: In spite of this fact the whole history of European contact with the natives of ;■••:.■ the Pacific, especially recent British administration, had been the story of the wilful" destruction of native culture and morality in a vain endeavour to replace it with ; .a culture and . morality neither ;capable of ibeirig':-. thoroughly absorbed or of ever proving efficient. -■" -• The speaker then proceeded to discuss the ..importance of plurality of wives . among the Melanesians ;of New Guinea, and declared that in some cases the mis-sranary-T to abolish this custom would result,"not only in the virtual disappearance* of chieftainship, but also *i 5 a'l - tribal and communal enterprise, and the dislocation; of all personal and func- ■ tional relationships : ; that bind their 50.:,. .:,. cieties together. ■ .;. :- ; '.' > Coming" to the question 'of primitive '■/[■.'. mans and sorcery, be said we were here dealing -with one of the least understood factors in "native life, and were apt to : depreciate "it /and■: arbitrarily ; suppress it ; ;■ in the laVs we-gave to the native peoples. But a careful scrutiny of the workings of the native social- organisations and the history fiativa institutions would reveal .-.."the- intimacy between , the institution of \'.V : chieftainship and : that ; of sorcery, and would show that- the power of the former resided. -in a great measure in the latter. . Primitive economics was described as a '■;■■';•; subject'of ■ the.': first ethnographical im- ;';..-;'. - portance:: The motive behind - the primi- ■;.'..:■ tive commission was one of the questions v : C calling for' immediate study, as the ignorance of and ; mdiffexence *to ■ this problem on ' the 'part of colonial administrators, was • : one bit means which they ; istntck at ,-■" the very root of tribal life and cohesion, : and so created nativis:'discontent.'■;..'■

V SECTIONS IK SESSION. ■ PBESmENTIAL ADDBEGSES. . [by TELEGEAPH.-—PBES3 . association.} „ ' :,V- •:"WELLINGTON - . Friday *:-:. The serious business of ; the Science this morning, when the various "sections met for the purpose of hearing; addresses from ; their respective presidents.- , :'.; „ ' , The subjects dealt ; with :by -'.the various sections,., were:—-Biology, Professor . C. Chilton, 'jMinute Crustacea";- astronomy, Dr. -C.; ; ; E. Adams, "Observations at WaliaT'j, : biology; Professor V. Benham,; "Birds «nd : Evolution"; social science, "Dr." Harvey Sutton, "Child Hypiene"; geology,; jMr. ; L. Keith Ward, "Physical ;■:■ Basis.primary .Production"; education, Mr. 'J. >Jfc-t Johnston, "Individual Freedom'';:;ethnology } Mr. H. , D. Skinner, "%iaa; Hunters" ; statistics. Mr. C- H. Wickens"3lamaK s : Capital'*? hygiene, Dr. Purdie, 'Prevention of Plagues."