Pakeha and Maori— An English View

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 128, 20 August 1927, Page 24

Pakeha and Maori— An English View

Professor A. J. Grant, of Leeds University, writing in the “Yorkshire Evening News” on the position of the Maoris in New Zealand, shows how in that Dominion the difficult question of the relations between the native and white populations has been successfully solved. < < T T may be confidently said that the history of the contacts * between Europeans and ‘primitive’ people contains no chapter that may be read with more satisfaction than the story of the Maori race in New Zealand.” writes Professor Grant. Four Maoris now sit in the New Zealand Parliament, and Maori opinion has a certain weight with New Zealand Governments. The decline in the race was in part due to insanitary conditions intensified by the partial adoption of European ways. A con-

tmous campaign against their insanitary habits has been conducted, partly by Sir Apirana Ngata. who has been for many years one of their representatives in Parliament, and certainly with excellent results. I believe the memory of the amazing fight they put up against the English has been of service to them. It has saved them from the paralysing sense of inferiority and self-contempt which seems to be near the centre of the causes of the failure of some native races. They have no humiliating defeat to look back on, but a of struggles the heroism of which is probably now a good deal touched by legend. Their prowess at football has been a really important influence in the same direction. It has raised them much in their own esteem to find that there is one activity which the Englishman values very highly where they can equal and often excel him. Whatever the reasons, the Maori now enjoys a position of remarkable equal-

ity by the side of the white n ’ a “Lg. contrast with the position ol and the trend of public opm „, North America, in South - even to a certain extent in -* is most striking. The New Zea . g take a pleasure in telling y 0 " h ,«. distinction is made between t races. Engl-’ Maoris sit along with the on the benches of schools an versity classrooms. They are into the same hostels; I have atCfdancing without any sense w ness in the dances given M hostels. itn»h cr I do not want to paint the u in too bright colours. d£ disappointing features; th culties ahead, especially - with the Maori ownersn p there are many instances 0 “ wereversion to type even a t*educated Maoris. But on f ,j 0 f outlook of the Maoris is and creditable to Maoris men alike.