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Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 152, 23 March 1939, Page 7

Deep resentment at what he regards as a wholly unjustified assumption concerning the customs of the oldtime Maoris was expressed by Mr. Hoani Matiu, Karitane, when commenting on the report of the discovery of portion of a skull at Goose Bay. 'l’he report mentioned that the fragment resembled the drinking cups which the ancient Maoris made from Ibe brainpans of their fallen enemies, but Mr. Matiu insists that this custom was not practised. It was certainly true that the bones of dead enemies were sometimes profaned by being manufactured into articles of common use, but in all his profound store of Maori traditions there was no record of the skull having been thus abused. Such an offence could, from the viewpoint of the relations of the person whose bones had been defiled, only be avenged by the complete extermination of those responsible, and the resultant feud would not be overlooked in tribal histories. It was greatly to he regretted, Mr. Matiu concluded, that -uch loose statements should be telegraphed throughout New Zealand.