MODERN MAORI OUTLOOK

Taranaki Daily News, 3 August 1931, Page 9

MODERN MAORI OUTLOOK

RELATIONS WITH CHURCH RACE CONSCIOUSNESS EVIDENT.» WAR DIFFICULTIES STILL FELT. Speaking at St. Marys Church, New Plymouth, 0 last night in an appeal for tlie support of the Maori Mission, the Rt. Rev. the Bishop of Waiapu, Dr. H. W. Williams, sketched the history of the mission and of the attitude of the present day Maori to the Church. The mission was founded, said His Lordship, by a man of insignificant appearance and “no orator,” who had been sent by the British Government in the closing years of the eighteenth century tb be chaplain to tlie coiivict scttlcnient at Botany Bay. It might have been thought that in tlie convict ncttlemeiit Samuel Marsden would have found ample scope for all his capabilities. But, like St. Paul; Marsden had a heart that reached far beyond his. immediate surroundings, and eVen the dangers and the horrors of the convict settlement were not enough to keep his heart fully occupied. , • Ten years after he reached Sydney Marsden met a Maori chief and his four eons, who had travelled from the Bay of Islands to Sydney to see for themselves the wonderful attributes of European civilisation of which they had heard. Marsden was struck by the appearance of the chief who, though but a savage and a representative of what was th.en considered the most ferocious race of cannibals; was a man of outstanding character. From time to time other Maoris visited Sydney and were made welcome by Marsden. COMING OF MISSIONARIES. His quickened interest in the Maori led him to ask the Church Missionary Society to send a mission to New Zealand to bring about the conversion of the Maori. It took longer to bring this about than Marsden had hoped; Various difficulties such as the massacre of the crew of, the Boyd caused delay, and though the society, sent out missionaries for New Tealarid in 1804, it was necessary for their safety that they should remain in Sydney. It was not until 1814 that they came over with Marsden to the Bay of Isldiids and were established there as the, first mission. Tliey wbre a small baiid with no means of protecting themselves against savagery, but imbued with the same spirit as Marsden in their desire to uplift the Maori people. After the establifihnient. of the iiist/ mission Marsden paid six further visits to New Zealand and travelled over a large part of the northern portion of the° ?'orth Island. Sometimes he jburheyed quite alone, alwayfe fearless and always winning the affection of the Maoris with whoni’he. came in contact. Success did not come to the mission with any rapidity. Jt was lj years before it could report the first, baptism, that of a young chief on his deathbed, and. four years later the first baptism of Maori irifanls took place. Then success came rapidly and. in the next 12 or 15 years mission stations had beeq established from North Cape to Otaki and 'in the Rotorua, Taupo,. Bay of Plenty and Poverty Bay districts. The missionaries did not force their way but the Maoris seemed to find soincthing attractive in the message of the Prince of Peace. .. Though the Maori was ever a warrior the coining of firearms had so altered conditions°of fighting that it looked as tliougli the race might be wiped out in the internecine fighting. The Maori became blood wcai-y and more ready to listen to the teaching of the missionary; Sometimes the release of captives was Brought about by tlie. mission, arid after teaching in. the mission schools they woiild return to fheir own country, and in some cases this led tb requests for the establishment of fresh mission centres. WHOLE Ct 'JNTRY CONVERTED. It might be true that some Maoris saw material advantages in having a ihission established-’ in tlieir midst, but for the most part their motives were higher and better. The' progress, of the mission was such that when Bishop Schyvn arrived in 1842'he was able to say that the whole of the Maori race had been converted tp Christianity. Three years later, in 1845, tlie first wat ih tlie north out, bringing troubles to the missions and their converts. It was fqljowed by troubles in TaraiiUki, for which it was riot fair to blame the Maori entirely. The Government was extreni'&bj ill-advised, and the cdnflscatioji of land at the close of the war did more harm to the cause of Christianity among the Maoris than any other thing the Government ever did. The result was that the Taranaki Maoris broke away from the Church and the formation of the Hau Hau cult. That resulted in the murder of Mr. Volkner, at Opotiki and Mr. Whiteley at Wliite Cliffs. The. murders were more political than religious and all The Maori religious sects founded since might be said to have a large political factor ip their composition. As years went on new sects such as that of Rua and RUtaiia came into being, and though in the latter belief in Jesus Christ was claimed; practises and superstitions had been introduced that were pot compatible with Christianity. .But those who though these sects indicated that the Maori was fickle and unreliable in matters of faith should remember the “fancy religious,” if they might be so termed, that the European was so frequently creating. ■ Since the Maori War days the Church had been engaged in the difficult and delicate work, of winning back those who had ben decoyed from its allegi&nc’c. More could, be doiie in direction by 'hOiiest,.- fitrdig'htf'orwaid. Christian living among .the pakeha and in Ulieif relations with the MAori than by sending anyone to preach to them. Conduct ivais a liiorc valuable influence than talk.

Since Bishop Selwyn ordained -the first Maori deacon a year or two after his arrival 130 Maoris had taken Holy Orders aiid ,4" clergy were still y working among their own people. Of those ordained sonic had fallen away, as amongst Europeans, but the Maori clergy were whole-heartedly doing, their the spiritual welfare of their people. Conditions were wholly different from those of a European parish, and the Maori mode of livug contained temp'ations and difficulties the Maori clergy had to contend with. After detailing arrangements for the training of Maori clergy the bishop said that recognising the Maori was sharing in “the wave of race consciousness that was sweeping ov<r the world,” it had been decided to appoint a Maori bishop. The first to be appointed. Bishop Bennett, was well known in Taranaki, and his good work was appreciated. But the mere appointment of a bishop could bring no tangible results without the prayers and the material support of thc Europcan. Though in Taranaki and the Waikato the Maoris were not generous to the Church —from which (he war had alienated them —in other districts generous gifts were made, such

as sites for churches arid vicarages, cridowments for schools, and ih sonic cases for the support of the clergy. It was for the European to do his part to show the Maori race the way to the highest and best Christian living.