"TOHUNGAISM " AMONGST MAORIS

Chronicle (Levin), 18 February 1947, Page 5

"TOHUNGAISM " AMONGST MAORIS

NEW FLYAIOUTU, Feb. 15. There was a certain amount of t ruru in allegations made by Air. E. B. Gurbett, Al.B., tliat a for 111 of "tohunga ism" was still prevalent among the Alaori people, said the Bishop of Aotea roa, the Rt. Rev. E. A. Bennett, when the statements were referred to him last night. Air. Carbett said in an ad dress, when opening tlie golden jubiLec ceremonies of St. Paul 's Cluirch. Okato that no Alaoris had heon in the cliurci, for several years and that "tohunga ism" was lceeping them from churches whieh were preaching tlie Christian faith. Last night Bishop Bennett addressed a special service to /young people dur ing ihe golden jubileo funetions being lield in St. Paul's Ghurch.

The influenee of tohungas dated from centuries back and it would take year* of patient work to eradicate it, he said. Alaoris had the idea that they beeame affocted by illnesses which had no con nection with the pakelia and .which pakelia remedies would not cure. Bishop Bennett explained that they were no. diseases like tvphoid or diphtlieria bu; SQjnething entirely din'erent which diu not come into the ken of the pakeha. For tlie cure of these ills the Alaoris used their old remedies, sucli as h.erbai mixtures which had been handed dowu to them and karakia (incantation) an»l. they slipped back to tlie leaehings ot the tohungas. It was a ditlicult .thing to combat, he said. Concerning the attendance of Alaoris at church, he said that there had no: been any persons working among them and encouraging them to attend serviees. He could not sav what the posit,ion was in Taranaki, because he had not been in the distriet for some timo. He hoped' to spend more t;ine among the A'laoris in Taranaki in the future There were two Alaoris in the Congregation which listened to Bishop Ben | nett's sermo.n at St. Paul's Church last night.