THE TANGATA WHENUA, OR LORDS OF THE SOIL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2649, 21 December 1904, Page 4 (Supplement)

THE TANGATA WHENUA, OR LORDS OF THE SOIL.

We may fairly assume that it was not long before the new arrivals discovered that in one particular at least Ngahue's account of Aotea-roa was incorrect. "A land of no human inhabitants" was soon proved to be an amiable myth. Not only were the crews of the Mamari and other earlier canoes securely settled, but there was also the Tangata Whenua, or original inhabitant, to be reckoned with. These aboriginal inhabitants are distinguished by Judge Wilson — -that eminent Maori scholar — as, "The Maui Maori Nation," tracing their decent to the demigod Maui of Polynesian tradition. The legend of Maui fishing up the earth from the waters which then cohered it is familiar to most people. With the assistance of his three sons, who had accompanied him on this jnemorable fishing expedition, Maui drew the earth to the surface of the water, and their canoe grounded on what proved to be the summit of a mountain. This sacred spot is none other than Hikurangi Mountain, at the head of Waiapu Valley. Leaving his sons to the possession of this new earth, tradition relates that Maui "returned whence he came,'' and the sons named the spoil of their father's fishing "Te Ika A Maui" — Maui's fish, Ehine-o-Maui," "fished up by Maui." So much for tradition. There is, however, no doubt that a Polynesian people, holding this tradition of their origin, had spread themselves in hapus and tribes over the greater part of the island when the Hawaikian fleet arrived in 1350. Inferior in activity and husbandry to the new-comers, the Maui Maoris only cultivated the hue gourd, from which they made their calabashes — indeed, they had no other useful plants for cultivation Berries, fern-root, hearts of the nikau palm, and the glutinous stems of the inner fronds of thei tree fern constituted a vegetable diet, varied by birds, which they snared with dexterity ; fish, eels, and crayfish, caught in salt and fresh water, and the flesh of the moa. This gigantic bird they hunted until it became extinct in the North Island, where the people informed Judge Wilson that the last one was slain with a "taiaha" at Tarawera. The moa, feeding exclusively on roots, berries. and the young shoots of trees, was especially fond of Nikau and Punga tree fern. One can imagine that the culinary delicacies introduced by the Hawaikian immigrants were eagerly welcomed by the Maui Maoris, who, having neither Kumara tubers or Karaka berries, knew nothing of the delights of Kao, a kind of paste made from these two ingredients dried; or the pleasures of toast taro, or fat rat. The language of the aboriginal Maori was almost, if not quite, identical with that of the immigrants, and amicable relations between the two peoples prevailed for the most part during the earlier periods of their intercourse. Later on, when the Hawaikian Maori had increased and multiplied, established his cultivations, and grafted the land lore and textile arts of the Maui Maori upon his own fiercer characteristics); had gained him tribal rights by intermarriage, and generally established himself too firmly to fear ejection from his new home, wars became more frequent, and in the localities where they occurred the gentler aboriginals gradually died out before their more fierce and cunning conquerors. In other parts, where relations remained amicable, the two races amalgamated by intermarriage, until, to the casual observer, all distinctive features were obliterated.

"The aboriginal Maori," says Judge Wilson, "believed in the tradition of a Divine Incarnation, and, of

course, had faith in the supernatural power of such a being. The narrative of how the child Oho manifested his divine origin is simple and beautiful." When the child Oho was being tuatia-ed, and prayers were offered that he might be brave and mighty in war, and strong in peace to cultivate food and perform the many duties of tribal life, he stretched out his hand, and calmly possessing himself of the sacred food offered to the Deity, ate it. Horrified and amazed, his brothers summoned their father, expecting instant and dire vengeance. He, however, noting the child's calm and dignified demeanour, recognised his Divine origin, and said to his sons 1 , "The child is not one of us. It is his. own food that he eats."

Personally, the Maui Maori, or "Tangata Whenua,'" was described as tall, spare, and active. His pas, or fortified villages, were built in strong positions, and were defended by extensive ramparts. There is no evidence that canabalism

was practised, or that human sacrifices were offered- -both , these savage customs were introduced by the Hawaikian immigrants A very noticeable feature in the life of the Maui Maori was his fondness for birds as pets, and much ingenuity uas displayed in taming and teaching them to talk A decidedly poetic feeling was shown in many ot their place names, which, unlike the frequently gross and sometimes ferocious place names of the Hawaikian Maori, more often indicated the pleasant aspects of Nature such as Ihe Curling Wave," "The Thickly-growing Fern, Tribe of the Bocks," "Pleasant Travel/ etc. There can be no doubt that as time passed the manners and customs, arts, and it may be rites and observances, of the two peoples, became fused into one general plan of life. Thus we find the Hawaikian Maori abandoning his tappa clothing m favour of nax garments, which could be made at all times, and for which the material was plentiful and indigenous, whereas the tappa cloth, made from the Aute, or paper mulberry tree, was sometimes unobtainable for years, since it was an in\iolable custom to destroy the cultivations and cut down the plantations of Aute trees when any pa proved impregnable. The aboriginals in turn, perfectly ignorant of the art ot "building and navigating ocean-going canoes, learnt from the new-comers. Outside these broad statements it is impossible to say in what respects the arts and crafts of the two peoples -were at first distinct. It would be manifestly improper to leave this portion of our topic without some reference to that fair-skinned, light-haired people met with occasionally throughout the TNorth Island, but principally among the Uriwera or Tuhoe -tribe. This especial branch of the Maoris having lived a more isolated life, owing to the rugged and mountainous nature of their territory, and to the conservative characteristics and liardy calibre of mind and body thus engendered, retain more of the ancient Maori character than any other tribe. Among the Tuhoe or Urewera the Urukehu, or fair-skinned, Tuddy-haired people, remain distinct. Their fine stature, refined type of features, and general physical perfection, entirely redeem them from the category of human sports known as "Albinos," with whom many writers have improperly classed them. Some legends ascribe their origin to the "Turehu," a race of white people who occupied these islands in the dim past, before the Maui Maori. Other legends describe them as the descendants of the Patu-pai-arehe, or white fairies, from whom was learned the art of making fishing nets, as we shall presently see; and again legendary lore points to the existence of a white race, living on the sea, partly gods, partly men, known to the earliest ancestors of the Maori race, and by them called Pakehakeha, as the ancestors of the fair skin, ruddy-haired Urukehu. All these mythical explanations of their origin being dismissed, leaves us with the riddle of the Urekehu still unsolved.