Some Aspects of Maoridom.

New Zealand Illustrated Magazine, 1 July 1901, Page 785

Some Aspects of Maoridom.

By Hilda Keane

Illustrated by D. W. Button

PURING recent years there has been a marked decrease in the number of aboriginal inhabitants of New Zealand. Many reasons are adduced to account for this ; and at this hour, when the numbers have fallen to some forty-two thousand, the Young Maori Party have taken the matter in hand, determined to do their best to remedy this deplorable state of things. This party consists of those natives who have received a European education, and who see, with sorrow, the rapid diminution of their people, mainly through the abuse of imported customs.' The pioneer European settlers found an intelligent race of people, handsome, and physically well developed. Their food consisted of fern root, wild berries, kumaras, birds, fish, and the flesh of wild pigs. With Europeans came foods of other kinds. It is no uncommon event for Maoris to spend all they have at the time upon tinned fruits, tinned fish, meat, etc., spread all upon one dish, and gathering round, eat of the mixture. Indigestion is thus a common complaint among natives, who do not undei'stand European methods of cooking and of eating various foods. Again, they come into town in the summer months, purchase gaily-coloured clothes, return to the kainga, discard the garments when worn, and spend the winter ill-clad. Then, when illuesa results, be it measles, typhoid fever or an ordinary cold, recourse is had to a native tohuuga. These so-called Maori doctors still exist in numbers, and owing to the slow extinction of superstition, even Christianized natives still resort to the custom of their fathers. The tohunga performs the usual weird incan-

tation.s, and orders a dip in a cold stream. This is the universal treatment for all ills* In other cases, the patient is loft entirely alone without any attention, if he recovers, well and yood ; their faith in the tohunga is increased ; if, on the contrary, he succumbs to the disease, then some; rival tohuugsi has been at work. Ft is self evident that since in former days such diseases as consumption, bronchitis, fevers, etc., were unknown, their present prevalence is due alone to the introduction of civilisation and the abuse of its appurtenances. Some slight contradiction may be urged as regards the natives who live in the thermal district. Here, quite late at night, Maoris — men, women, and children — may be seen sitting in a steaming pool, smoking their pipes and chatting. They remain thus for hours, and probably throw a blanket round their bodies when they tire of the amusement. One naturally expects colds and chest complaints to bo rife amongst them. But, on the other hand, the mortality amongst the natives here is not shewn to be greater than that among those in other places.

The Key. F. A. Benuett tulls a story of a meeting wliich he attended. About fifty natives were assembled in a wharepuni largo enough to hold twenty comfortably. Iv the middle of the room blazed a huge fire. The Maoris sat round smoking. The impure air at the top of the room was so dense that tho speaker had to double himself down before beinsr able to speak at all. The heat was stifling. Two babies were crawling about wherever they could find room. As they tired, they began to cry. Then a native woman made her way to the naked little

things, and lifting them, dropped them both outside into the cold night air until they should be content to be quiet and peaceable.

Another story is told, and it may be corroborated by almost anyone who knows anything of native life. An old Maori man determined one day to visit the city. He attired himself in his idea of European fashion, that is to say, lie donned a huge oilskin coat, reaching to his knees. He pulled the collar well up about his throat, and wound round his neck a woollen " comforter." On his head he wore a huge sou-wester, the lappets of which he pulled down over his ears. Thus he spent the hours about the streets on a summer dav. At

night he returned to the kainga, where, feeling somewhat uncomfortable after his martyrdom, being bathed in perspiration, he removed his European habiliments, and sat in the cool air for the remainder of the evening. .With such recklessness and ignorance, and with the prevalent distrust of European medicos, it is not astonishing

that the Maoris yearly decrease in number.

There are other yet more disastrous evils to combat. Although many of the Maoris have adopted English customs to a fairly large extent, the old communistic life is still lived by great numbers ; and under pi'esent conditions, it is almost miraculous that any of them live pure lives. The surroundings of a Maori village are demoralising in the extreme, and

it is the aim of the Young Maori Paity to remove as many girls as possible from such immoral influences, and place them in a sohool where they may receive teaching.

One of the greatest curses that the Britisher has brought to Maoriland is alcoholic liquor. Beer, especially, is con-

suraed in large quantities by the natives, raeu, women and children ; and unsophisticated as they are, Maoris know no moderation. They will sledge barrels of beer for miles and miles from the nearest railway station, to be used at a tangi. Whatever the occasion of the feast, to which immense quantities of food are brought, the beer is placed where everyone* even the tiny child, can get as much as he wants. Imagine the sight that too often meets the eye. The most saddening, most disgusting spectacle is that of an intoxicated

Maori woman who knows no shame. The almost insurmountable difficulty of doing anything to rescue the race is never more deeply felt The strange part is that in a licensed public house a Maori woman may not be served with liquor, though there are ways and means, even under these circumstances, of obtaining the coveted

curse. So much, however, has legislation done

But the fact remains that though prohibited thus, a Maori woman may have beer, in unlimited quantities, in her own kainga, whenever any of her people, in their generosity, provide the tribe with it. This vice of civilisation is acknowledged by all educated natives to be the most potent factor for evil, and the greatest obstacle in the way of reform.

In matters of sanitation, the Maoris have everything to learn. In olden times they lived on the heights, from which they descended only to fight their enemies. Now

the pas are for the most part deserted. They have come down to where they can most easily obtain the luxuries of Europeans. Instead of mountain sides, which provided a natural system of drainage, they now live in the level country, in most cases by swampy ground, where, when so inclined, they can, in Auckland, obtain gum to provide them with money, or grow their scanty crops. Hence, with absolutely no attempt at drainage, and with Mother Earth for the flooring of the whare, is it to be wondered that disease is prevalent? There are many other causes which might be adduced to account for the rapid diminution of a fine native race. It is

pitiful that such influences as those mentioned should result from the abuse of the privileges of civilisation. It is not creditable either that, the Maoris, who live in the districts invaded by tourists, should be degraded to the level of beggars. English tourists are responsible for much of the low state of morality existing there, for the laziness of the Maoris in refusing ho sow crops, or to work at all. It is natural to an aboriginal race that, when the probability is that the tourists will pay them liberally for rolling their eyes and stretching their tongues, they will be disinclined to do more arduous work with less immediate return. With no home training, and in fact no home at all, in one sense of the word, with

no attempt at the inculcation of moral principles, with dirty surroundings, unsuitable food and insufficient clothing, it is not to be wondered at that the Maori race has in fifty years been reduced to loss than half its numbers. The last census, it is true, proves that this decrease has been arrested during the last quinquennial period. Hut this fact should spur us on in the reformation of this fine race, rather than lend to make us carelessly consider such reformation unnecessary. It may seem (hat, notwithstanding this perhaps temporary halt, on the downward path, the race is doomed to extinction. One hears so frequently of deaths from

consumption until it has almost come to bo believed that the Maori is fruitful soil for the growth of our worst difseasoH. But the fact that before our coming, he was singularly free from illness warrants the conclusion, not that he is a fit subject for the bacilli of disease, but that by his ignorance regarding the a b c of laws of health, which must bo observed under the artificial conditions of civilisation, he is constantly weakening his constitution. It has been universally acknowledged that the Maori is the finest of aboriginals. That he is intellectual is proved by the fact that Maori students show in all cases considerable aptitude in European studies. It is infinitely to the credit of many of

these young students that they have taken in hand the difficult matter of elevating their race from the decay which threatens them. In the past, many native boys have been taken from their surroundings, and, being sent to the schools established for the purpose, such as that at St. Stephen's, Auckland, and that at Te Rau, Gisborne? and particularly Te Aute College, have been trained to a high degree of culture. Many have specially distinguished themselves, and entering upon a University career, have

placed themselves in the front rank of the professions. Aucklanders are especially proud of Mr. Apirana Ngata, LL.B., who practised in Auckland for some years as a member of the well-known firm of solicitoi's, Messrs. Devore and Cooper. But it has at last dawned upon people that, while educating the boys, and raising them beyond Maori life, they were not providing them with suitable wives. Indeed, this has been the great error, and many youths, with a good European education, have by their .marriage with women of their race, returned

to the old slothful way of living, and have ceased to avail themselves of the pakeha privileges. It is unreasonable to expect that by educating the boys and neglecting the girls, any improvement in social life can be expected. The women have no idea of making a home of any kind, no idea of cooking food, none of nursing the sick. Some years ago a small school for girls was established at Hukurere. It has proved a most successful effoit, and numbers of Maoris have wished to send their children to it. A year ago the building could accommodate no more, and nineteen would-be scholai'S were refused admission. The result is that those nineteen have to be subjected for a year longer to the demoralising influences of the Tcainga. Some of the educated Maoris have therefore banded together to effect great reforms. Mr. Ngata has sacrificed brilliant pi'ospects, and devoted himself to the cause. Associated with him are members of the clerical and the medical professions. At present their desire is to establish in Auckland a school for girls, where they will be trained in the useful arts of housekeeping, nursing, etc., besides receiving other education. To effect this, the members of the Young Maori Party require a sum of £10,000. To procure this, the Rev. F. A. Bennett, Maori Missionary for the province of Taranaki, has temporarily left his work among his countrymen, and is making a tour of our principal cities, lecturing and preaching on the subject. Already he has been enthusiastically listened to, and voluntarily, large sums have been subscribed. He relates a pathetic incident to show that the race is one worth saving. It will not lose by repetition in written words, though the latter cannot induce the pathos conveyed by the lecturer's musical voice and wellchosen diction. It is as follows : — One stormy morning the Maoris near Wakapuaka heard the signs of a vessel in distress. They ran down to the beach. There, at some distance on the rocks, was a vessel, which they knew must soon go to

pieces. Without hesitation, several of them attempted to swim out to save the crew, but the waves were dashing in, and although strong swimmers, the men were carried back to shore again and again. After many attempts they stood hopeless. Then a brave woman said, " I will try." Underneath the breakers were sharp jagged rocks the whole way out. She started on her perilous errand. As breaker after breaker came, she dived below the surface, and clung with her hands to the coral reefs. Thus fighting her way, inch by inch, she at length passed the breakers. Almost exhausted, she called to the crew in her broken English : " Chuck a rope." The rope was thrown. She held it in her teeth, and managed to fasten it round her body. Then she started again for the shore. The waves tossed her forward, and without resistance dashed her, bleeding from every part of her body, on to the shore before her friends. By means of the rope, to which the crew had attached a cable, every man on the English vessel was saved by the heroic effort of a simple Maori woman. With such a woman, now living and suffering from a disease — the result of that heroic deed — to represent the i-ace, no one need ask the question : " Is the Maori race worth an attempt to save it ?" Since we pakehas have possessed ourselves of land which belonged to Maoris, since we have introduced vices of which before they were ignorant, since we have so far neglected to teach them how to avoid the same, and how to cultivate our virtues, we are responsible for their threatened extinction, and it is to us that they must look for help.

We can help thorn : that fact is indisputable, and the small band of cultured Maori*} is pointing out tho way for us to use our means. In thus practically helping to establish the School for Maori Girls, the foundation stouo of which was laid by His Royal Highness tho Duke of Cornwall and York on the 12th of last month,

we are advancing a cause worthy our moat earnest support. We arc repaying the n&tivesof our beautiful land for the privilege we owe them in being able to make these islands our home. All honour then to the Young Maori Party who sacrifice brilliant careers to raise their falling kinsmen !

Ed. Note. — Let us give, therefore, what assistance we can in carrying out this special work to which our attention is called. At the ceremony of laying the stone, a gentleman set the excellent example which might well he emulated elsewhere of offering a donation of five pounds, if nineteen others would do the same, an offer which hrought a quick response of £110. The sum of £1,886 13s Id, out of the £10,000 required, was the amount raised up to the date of the laying of the foundation stone, so there in yet a brilliant opportunity for those of our philanthropists who are doers, and not dreamers only to assist in one of the noblest and most promising efforts to elevate a native race that was ever undertaken.