MAORI DEVELOPMENT

Taranaki Daily News, 24 June 1935, Page 7

MAORI DEVELOPMENT

LECTURE BY MAJOR ARMSTRONG. PLEA FOR PAKEHA GUIDANCE. The concluding meeting of the revival campaign which has been conducted at the New Plymouth Salvation Army citadel this week by Brigadier Andrew Gray and Major A. Armstrong, Wellington, was held on Friday night, when Major Armstrong addressed a* large audienqe on. Maori lore and history, Mr. W.xH. Skinner presided. Proceedings opened with a congregational song, “Jesus Shall Reign.” Brigadier Gray led prayer. Adjutant Canty welcomed the speaker and the chairman. The Rev. P. Moki thanked Major Armstrong at the conclusion of the address on behalf of . the Maori race and those present. ' Major Armstrong paid a tribute to Mr. Skinner’s reputation as an authority. Few people knew the Maoris, whom, it was their duty to protect from evil influences. No Maori lore, had ever been written, but the Maori had a conception of the soul, of evil and good, and named the .supreme being 10. They had their story of the creation, which corresponded in most details to the beliefs of Christianity. There were also some interesting cases of prediction of ’the coming of the white man among Maori folk lore. The Maoris had at one time been a race of up to 150,000 strong, said Major Armstrong, who described the habits and life of the Maoris of old. They had theittateligion and a counterfeit religion, which amounted to witchery. It had a bad effect in swaying the people towards evil. He referred to Dr. Kagawa’s visit and pointed out that the Japanese as well as other races had their conception of the Supreme Being. The Maoris also had" their story of the flood, which contained a reference to a doubledecked canoe, the story going that they sailed for eight moons. Maori navigation, had been wonderfully developed, as wa* shown by their great migration. In tStet they exhibited a deep knowledge of astrology. Now, however, the use Of the Maori lahguage and knowledge of Maori tales was dwindling among the younger Maoris, a fact to b? deplored. ' , Major Armstrong explained ' the significance of Maori names and the importance in the olden days of such places as Terawhiti, the crossing place to Hokitika, and Hokianga, the place of returning to their old. land over the sea Of Kiwa. The Maoris knew the world was round and knew of the equator. He also referred to the types of Maoris. He had seen two blue-eyed Maoris at Pipiriki. The law of Tapu kept the race clean and healthy and long-lived. Dr. Home had said the Maori was the finest dark-skinned race in the. world physically, and he agreed with him. The young people’s mating customs appealed as equal to the habits of modern young folk, said 'Major Armstrong, who detailed how the Maori had always been dignified in his carriage and aristocratic in his bearing. Before the coming of the pakeha the Maori had been practically free from disease, but such was not the case now,. although the word pakeha meant “a white god.” - In the early days of the white invasion by whaling ships there was no gospel and no law ahd the effect on the r t ace was not good, the Maoris being exploited. For 72 years there was no British law and the Maoris had no protection until the Treaty of Waitangi. The coming Of Christianity had gradually exerted an influence, and Major Armstrong asked how different the position would have been had the gospel only come to New Zealand before the whalers. The' Williams family was an influence for good oh the Maoris who were receptive in* the early days to the preaching of Christianity, which was not the case now with so' many sects operating, .vi -... ’ The task that lay before the pakeha at the present time was to show as much protection and love to his Maori brethren aS possible in an attempt to undo what harm had been done. ; The citadel band accompanied the congregational singing.