THE MODERN MAORI.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 591, 20 August 1909, Page 6

THE MODERN MAORI.

SOME DESTRUCTIVEAGENCIES. LECTURE BY MR. A. HAMILTON.' In his. second lecture on. the Maori, given at the' Wellington Training College, befOro.a.lar'/jo attendance last ovening, Mr. A. Hamilton, director of the . Dominion Museum,'. dealt with some of tho chief-influences which caused great social revolutions and changed the whole aspect of .Native society. After referring; to the influence of'tho missionaries, whoso schools.were largely attended by the Maoris, Mr. Hamilton roferrod to tho introduction of muskets-'by. the northern chief Hongi. ; The introduction of firearms was the'first grcat.causo of .the decrease of tho Maori population. The nature, of the. ancient Native weapons -prompted their users to seek out vantage ground, and to tako up positions oii precipitous hilltops, and .to make thoso high and,dry airy situations'their regular lixod residences, except during the. cultivation season. When the Natives became fjonsrally armed with Iho musket* thoyabandoucd tho hille in order to save themselves tho great labour and iuconycnicnco of continually carrying provisions, food, ami water to thc.su precipitous hill, castles, which were also iiioonvomontly distant froi'ii. .their cultivations. In- tho low lands they erected new kinds of ■fortifications, adapted to tho now weapons. This olmngo of residonc-e wus a great factor in ,the destruction of tho nice, lighting, also, became much nioro dtstriictivo, and. now diseases were introduced. , In soino of tho southern settlements', tho population was literally decimated. Tho maladies of influenza and smallpox, introduced by Kui-opuans, slow many thousands, and the gradually. introduced .cliango of ; food must lwivo had somo effect upon tho race as a whole, "l'ho introduction of corn foodsgrains—was taken up by tho Maori , race, and .largo cuUivsitions-Hiirang up (ill over the. country, wheat and .oilier- cereals being grown in such quantities as to provide material for a great number of flour mills. "There, is no earthly reason," staled Mr... Hamilton, "why the Maori of the present day should not raiso equally good crops as thoso raised- by liis forefather; in fact; everything points to the suitability by tradition and natural aptitude; of the Maori vocation, at the present time being that of agriculturist's." .-'.;: The ..effect of .-European-clothing, which was Suickly adopted by tho Maoris, was touchedN>n y.Mr. Hamilton. In the hew garments, l.ho Natives got wet and chilled, and naturally took cold and develc-ped cnest complaints, whjcfi have now a deep hold on tho younger portion of the people. He did riot thiilk that there were any evidences of chest .diseases amongst tho Native tribes befoyo contact -with./ Europoaivs. . Agnin, iri the earlier years, and-for many a long year, the abuse of various'forms of alcohol proved of great injury to. the race. The -utglectrof their .normal cultivations, and of their own ■methods of fishing ami hunting, which'came about slowly, owing'to the substitution! of tinned foods acid European Hour, which could easily be obtained - for a price not involving .labour, gradually rebiovcd the stimulus to oxercise which existed-in the old time.. The salp of laud to Europeans decreased tho areas from which' food could., be obtained, and thero arose a class of Maori who-had : no work to do) while the chiefs lost'the authority formerly posscssud to compel every ln'an. of the. community to do a- fair share of tho conimon wofk. The race was so intimately bound'up and kept together by the. authority of its that whiiii their guidiiigaud cohtrolling power was broken and weakened, , . t|ie. people fell'asunder, like nil untied ■'.bundle of'sticks. ' ; With, tl\e evonts'of the period embracing what was known as "the Maori wars,: Mr; Hamilton said he had nothing:-to- do but to .rugret that they-should havo occurrtd.. Eecently, there had dawned a' brighter poribcl for lb'or«n)iiant.of the race, and advantage had been widely taken'of the benefits of eduedtioo'.' .;■]'' . ■ After referring, to the tohutigas, Maori- custoiiis, anil the spread 'of 'European, education, Mr, Hamilton latoyeats. there has teen much said arid written , on'the question of'how best tolielptho people'whom we have supplanted inf.-this. land. ' "Within ■,the..last decade;-what I.believe'.to be'a : real forward movement on - the part-of the- Maoris has lxen established, and shows signs of a steady growth, and I look forward with confidence to Ilia-establishment-.of a more .complete understanding between the two races; an understanding which shall leave no latent, suspicion behind. Tho best efforts of many of th-o most 'earnest: workers hive been discounted hy a not altogether unjustified suspicion by the Natives, for whoje benefit they were intended, that the efforts were : not -altogether ■ disinterested, and. I. feel sure that with a better undefstaiiding more , ' justice and equity will ,ba introduced into our dealings with the Maoris than hava'ever been in the past." ; . ■■' -". , A hearty vote of thanks was accorded to the ;lecturer. ■ . ■■.■■• ■'■■ ' ".'''. .-■'' ,; .