Panel at League Conference

Te Ao Hou, September 1967, Page 51

Panel at League Conference Eight pupils from Tauranga's four secondary schools discussed and answered questions put to them by Mr M. Te Hau, during the M.W.W.L. conference held there last July. They were Diane Faulkner and William Andrews of Otumoetai College, Gregory Tata and Grey Whaanga of Tauranga Boys' High School, Leslie Moffatt and Erica Rolleston of Tauranga Girls' High School and Kathryn Bluett and Buddy Mikare of Mount Maunganui College. These pupils, all with Maori ancestry, showed by their excellent answers that they had a balanced and confident outlook on problems their elders were seeking to solve. The best answer to the first question—How would you define a Maori?—was … ‘A Maori is usually defined as a Polynesian, but a real Maori is a Polynesian with his culture.’ Next came a question on integration—What do you understand by integration? Do you consider Maoris should be fully integrated in the New Zealand Society? If not, why not? The answer given by Leslie earned almost an ovation, and other members of the panel could add almost nothing to it. We quote it here in full: ‘Integration, to me, is the combining, the affiliation of two peoples—not the takeover of one group by another, but a free intermingling of different parts into one essential whole. ‘I think we must realise here that different groups have a heritage, a vibrant history, customs and beliefs, past and present, of their own. An integrated nation does not overlook certain aspects but collects all parts, all different customs and history and displays all as its proud heritage. ‘Different customs must be retained to preserve pride and self respect but should not interfere with goodwill. Integration is the intermixing. Integration is tolerance. ‘Thus as I see it, integration is when different ideas, different coloured skins, different beliefs are accepted—and a man is judged only by his worth, being given equal opportunity with everyone else to show it. ‘Integration is also the joining of people, ideas, customs, and beliefs, freely.’ ‘Now for the second part of the question: ‘The important phrase here is N.Z. Society, Maoris are New Zealanders and as such Maoris should be fully integrated in the New Zealand Society. The phrase wasn't European Society, or Maori Society, but New Zealand Society. The Maori has an important contribution to make. The Maori is a person, and deserves the opportunity to show his worth, deserves equal opportunities and advantages in our New Zealand life. Integration means this. Integration gives man, all men, the change to contribute to our common good. Thus the Maori should be fully integrated into New Zealand Society.’ To the third question—What do you think are the main difficulties that face Maoris in an urban situation such as Tauranga?—there was a variety of answers, among them, ‘Maoris have a feeling of shyness and a sense that the Pakeha has a condescending attitude towards them’, ‘the difficulty of the non-existence of informal social interactions between the two races, apart from an occasional “Hello” or a beer in the pub’, ‘a lack of idea about money’. The general opinion was that if everyone went half-way, these problems would be gradually overcome. Question four—With the rise in Maori population do you consider there is a likelihood of a worsening in race relations in New Zealand? If so, why?—looked as though it could be a ‘sticky one’, but was treated with aplomb by the pupils, some of them giving instances of a growing Pakeha interest in Maori things, and of being asked by schoolmates to explain Maori things to them. Do Maoris require special attention at school? If so, why?—the fifth question—aroused some disagreement. Diane thought this depended on Maori children's abilities, their attitude to work, their social background, and their upbringing. She thought that many Maori children who had ability had their opportunities ruined by a lack of interest on their own or their parents' part. The attitude to work was more easygoing, and because a Maori mixed most easily with other Maoris, he found he couldn't chat with Pakehas about common interests. She felt that the ‘gap’ in fluency and the shyness of the young Maori child starting school was slowly being overcome by the play centre movement. Leslie suggested that improvement should begin in the home, that special attention should

not be given at school because this obviously set up a barrier between Pakeha and Maori. In answering question six—What part do you consider education should play in the total life of Maori Society?—it was said that ‘The Maori's place in today's society depends entirely on the standard of education he has attained’. Reference was again made to the average Maori child's handicaps on beginning school, because the standard of English at home was poor, there was little preschooling, and usually no literature around the house. This stemmed basically from the oral historical tradition of the Maori. Lack of finance to keep children at school, and the temptation for Maori children to leave when they saw their friends earning ‘big money’ were also mentioned. Verbal intelligence tests, resulting in the streaming of most Maori children into low classes, thus giving them the feeling ‘I'm a dumb Maori’ was seen as one of the answers to question seven—What do you consider are the special problems facing Maori children in Secondary schools? Another was that ‘there is nothing in the European education system which can be called Maori, and this causes a lack of identification by young Maoris’. The teaching of the Maori language in secondary schools was advocated and a plea made for more who could teach Maori to serve as part-time teachers in schools that were eager to add Maori to their list of options but could find no teachers. Stressing this, Kathryn said, ‘A language does not survive only because it is useful. A language survives if the people care for it enough. The teaching of Maori culture is not a substitute for teaching the Maori language. Anyone can twirl a poi or stamp in a haka, but the best poi dancers, the best haka men, are those who know what they are shouting. You can dress up like an ancient Maori, know the stories of old Maori times, enjoy Maori food, but if you cannot speak like a Maori, you do not know what is in his heart.’ She asked that Maori be taught at least at 5th and 6th form levels. This was further emphasized when Gregory answered the last question—What elements of Maoritanga should be retained in our Society today? How do you consider these can be extended to meet today's needs?—the Maori language being the basis of Maoritanga. He said that the music, crafts, and oratory should also be retained, and the language was the only thing that made these meaningful. The Maori marae too should be kept for a place of reunion for tangis and celebrations, and the only way to retain all these was to use them continuously. He spoke of theatrical and operatic productions, the art and poetry of young Maoris, and the Maori oratory contest as modern extensions meeting today's needs, and drew prolonged applause when he said a national Maori language public speaking contest should be instigated, to give incentive to pupils and further the use of Maori. Questions from the audience revealed that some of these pupils, although keenly advocating the retention of all the elements of Maoritanga, had little experience of some of them, and all were invited to Ngata College to meet the pupils there and see for themselves their strong retention of Maoritanga.