European Contact

Te Ao Hou, December 1956, Page 10

European Contact The arrival of Europeans in increasing numbers in the early part of the nineteenth century led to the introduction of new ideas, attitudes, laws, religion, a new economic system, and also new and strange values. This new culture effected partial disintegration of Maori society. Later came the wars of the 1840's and 1860's. Then came a period of settlement and colonisation involving the breaking in of large areas of virgin country when the Maori often laboured side by side with the European settler performing the arduous tasks of bush-felling, stumping, draining, fencing and ploughing. While both peoples were engaged in these operations the Maori seemed to fit in with European life; but the growth of commerce, of the professions and of certain technical trades created a gulf that the Maori found difficult to bridge. in fact it has not yet been bridged to any marked extent. Further changes resulted as time went on. and so it is realised that the Maori of today is a different person, living in a different society with an altered culture from his forebears who witnessed the arrival of Europeans. In addition Maori people of today present not only the universal human individual differences in intelligence and temperament, but also differences brought about by the degree of miscegenation, degree of Europanisation, education and opportunity. These are a few of the factors at work today to produce variety and lack of uniformity such as do not operate among the Europeans. The result is that there is on the one hand a group of professional men, and on the other, another group very little removed from the living conditions which existed in pre-European days. The range between these two extremes is much wider than that of the extremes of European society. It will therefore be seen that there is a wide variation in the attainment of the two extreme groups. One pattern along traditional lines is still followed by a large number of Maoris: the other pattern along westernised lines is followed by smaller number. But an increasing number of Maoris in the intermediate group also stand metaphorically speaking, with one foot in the older type of society, and one foot in the newer type. Those in this group are subject to two sets of social sanctions, neither of them very strong; b drawing apart from each other. The Maori survived and very largely saved himself by setting to work to adjust himself to the new demands imposed upon him. They realised that the stronger culture will predominate There is now a fairly general agreement that the right course to pursue is to bring out all that best in the native culture and grafting the culture harmoniously with that common to New Zealand as a whole. Such a blending could in the end become something comparable with the Scots acceptance of English standards while still retaining the kilt and bagpipe. During the second half of the nineteenth century many of the early European settlers had been accustomed to regard the Maoris as doomed to eventual extinction. Yet in spite of these predictions there arose amongst the Maori a new hope. Out of the gloominess of their future there arose a strong national effort to ward off the fate that seemed to threaten their very existence. It was an organised movement to overcome the conditions which threatened their existence. At the beginning of this century many of young Maori leaders devoted themselves exclusively to the work of practical reform, sacrificing professional careers of high promise. This band of young educated Maoris imbued Maoris are gradually entering the business world. One of the long-established successful Maori businesses is this co-operatively run butcher shop in Ruatoria. (John Ashton Photograph.)

This puriri stick over 6 feet high is all that is left of a huge puriri which was once the storehouse of the famous East Coast Chieftainess Hinemattoro. Here it is in the Gisborne Museum as it was handed over for safe keeping by the owners, the Ngati Konohe of Whangara. (Kandid Kamera Craft Photograph.) with this mission came to be known as the Young Maori Party. Its leaders followed different paths. Medical men were naturally interested in the promotion of health, hygiene and diet. They pressed for better living conditions, better sanitation, better water supplies that were available to the people. Solicitors became interested in the type of difficulties facing the Maoris in the use of their lands, but all these activities converged on the one goal a conscious adjustment of Maori society to the changed conditions and standards of life. On every side they encountered obstacles of which the most difficult were rooted in the customs and traditions of their people. The end of the last century found conditions reasonably favourable for the reception of the policies advocated by the Young Maori Party. With youthful enthusiasm and Christian zeal these young Maoris set about the task of reviving their people, curing them of their diseases, teaching the ways of health, stirring their pride in the achievements of their ancestors, bidding them to go forward with hope. They went from one settlement to another instructing and encouraging. They realised that if the Maoris were to survive in the new industrial civilisation, they must work. “The gospel of work” wrote Sir Apirana Ngata, “is final, absolute; there is no alternative for us but to accept it. For if the Maori people do not accept it, and that soon, the race will die off the face of the earth”.