THE STUDY OF THE MAORI.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 597, 27 August 1909, Page 8

THE STUDY OF THE MAORI.

, LECTUEE BY iMR A. HAMILTON 'The third ■ of ; ".a series ;of lectures , on' the -subject < : of the i'M'siori* race.v'was? delivered -by '•Mr.' A. UttDiilton at ,tho; Training College last 'night.:' : ; Dr. Buck,{ presided oyer j a good' .attendajice.v-j i;- 7 - j\\ ■V; 'jivj, .f\ • 'I'he lecturer's(ate<l tliat:;among the': qiieslions. oonsidered at, tlib.-recent Maon, Congress, was. the matter ;of'the, Maori language."' This was''X step in ' the.bright 'direction,: 'for.: there were 'many inßnences at ' work tending to corrupt the-language, and a'knowledge,of ; the language 'of the: people studied - was'absolutely (necessary. to the study.Aof .any : branch: of- ; ethnblogy." In ethnological 'research., one had/ to .consider .the causes, oirhich gave "rise, to fcustonis, ' Jor'- instance, ; an"; old- custom which still; obtaiiied. in parts—that ,of. paying. a. trib'ute:'..to" -'IVne,, the great ,wop.d : god, wheneverfa. Nativo'.ehtered. a .foreft—probably..arose..'through'vithe'^idea 'that there %ras^some~personal: influence.behind ;tlie ( impersonal of-' the forest.-'; ''Speaking,, .'of ,"inana,";,the {lecturer., said:' that 'it '• was, be-' lieved that'-the„religion pf/Melanesia: consisted of ;a desire .to !secure.'-for.,individuals-, the, power,: which the !spirits : - and'.-■) gods • .wero:. believed .to ;poss«s.,. ! .-In.studying';lhoif anthropology of the Maori, medical, students would find si wide'and interesting:-. field,.; for,,as' yet '. little.'. had'« been done in, this "direction.;; Th is .'aspect, of. the . subject ;had its, practical value, for'. English 1 people iwero constantly ; coming, in xontact.^ith■ primitive:,raws,- and:sucK>know-', ledge'"as, that.referred to.would.,better fit. them to" meet ;the;,sit\iatiori. !Th'e American"Govern:ipent had recently ,established'a;:bureau; of etlinbjogy,. .'for,-.the;'purpose, re.cords of the native .race's, and so'enabling them ' to' goverii - better; such: races.; as 'reinained. 11l 'such; a study wqiild: be, of great use to people whoseprofessionObrought theni. into -close contact, v.-itlr tlio 'llaoris..

:; At the of the address: a;.hearty vote of 'thanksVwas-accorded: th'eVlecturer, on the. motion \ Buck,-, in 'conveying; thb "nl'otion to Mr. Hamilton) saidthat lie; asamembbrof the" Maori race,, had always, taken' a'i'fereat interest in their ethnology, j As.a'.result oPthe'.'Maori Congress, .the University, Senatej. had 'consented -to include: the Maori' language among, the optional subjects)'for? the;:in'atriculation -. examination; But Vthat was • not ' enough. ' They wanted to have. Maori made; a-subject for the arts course , of the ;New'Zealand' University; -.. An' objection ■ raised—that, there wa'si no Maori" ■li'as easily ; got over, for.'there was Jfaori litera-: t'ure- if they only looked for. it..:"There splendid- ppportunity for anyone; sittiiig for "the degree of' Doctor of; Literature to contribute;'a thesis .on the .iistory,; ethnology,. ",or ' arcfiaeologv of a race, and such a ; thoois might- be written': on. the: Maori "race.-With 'regard- to "tapu," he; wished "to explain that: that form fulfilled'i utilities •' "> corresponding : to.;; those furnished, by. -our • police,": laws, "etcl '■;■ It was not entirely-perfect,' ,b/it within,'were iour equivalent modern'institutions',';bt : why did,we'need a Police Commission?.; Tie word had also been Anglicised ,to i"tab'oo,'':;'ani;since;'almost , all primitive races had their form of;taboo, Maoris were held in common with*'others to be on : a' low social, scale. 'But the pngli.shto'an' was hot different,: - and • it : '-;might \ just' as /reasonably, be stated; that asVhe,, tabooed oysters .at. a-certain, season of;, tho year, :he" too', must'also be on- a : low social scale. . ,-, . : : ;Mr.,A.; Gray, then thanked. Mr.:.Hamilton and 'dr.;;: Bell;, for 'delivering-tho addresses ."of the scries, and also the; public who- had 'taken ;-a great interest in a very important subject.