Harry Jacobs (Kaiapoi) addresses meeting of South Island tribes. (Star-Sun Photo) Maori spirituality were tapu, wehi and mana, he said. He showed that they were also present in Christianity. Mr Were Couch, an elder from Rapaki, said that while guarding against superstition, the mystic element, of being ‘attuned with God’ should be retained. After a long discussion, the conference decided not to pass a remit asking for religious observance by the people, because this should be left to each individual. The discussion of this one subject alone showed how Maori the atmosphere at this South Island conference was; although English was used almost all the time, and there were few kaumatua present, the preservation of Maori land, the teaching of Maori language, music and art, took up most of the time at the conference. Like the tribal executives in the North Island, the South Island organisations tend to consist of the younger, more modern types of people but it was clear that they all deferred to the authority of their kaumatua at home who were not on the committees but whose agreement was always needed before anything was decided. Mr Whaitire, of Bluff, told the conference, our kaumatua must lead us; that is Maoritanga. The conference had been called on the suggestion of the Rapaki people. They had been told that the Maori Trustee intended to buy out uneconomic interests in a block in their settlement; it was a block where all the interests were very small and although the Rapaki people realised that a change was necessary, many were disconcerted to think that the last of their ancestral land would be alienated. It was clear to them that it would not be long before hardly anyone in the South Island owns interests worth more than £25;