MAORI RACE-PRIDE

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 940, 5 April 1930, Page 9

MAORI RACE-PRIDE

OLD TRADITIONS MAINTAINED THOUGH EUROPEANISED DR. PETER BUCK RETURNS The ability of the Maoris to adapt themselves to European civilisation and yet maintain their old traditions was referred to by Dr. Peter Buck this morning. No other Polynesian race has done this. The Samoans, least of all. have fallen under the sway of the EuroDr. Buck, who is a noted authority on Maori life and customs, reached Auckland this morning from the South, for the past three years l*e has been ethnologist to the Bishop Museum at Honolulu, and will hold that appointment for another two years. His work is fascinating and has taken him to many of the islands of the Pacific to study native culture. The result of his investigations will be invaluable in throwing light on the eaxly migrations of the Polynesians round which ranges so many myths and legends.

Dr. Buck said this morning that he had spent some time in the Cook Group, studying each island in detail. He was amazed at the diversity of culture he found in each island. Local conditions had largely influenced the native culture in different directions. There were all kinds of small diffex'tnces in each island. It was no use from the practical point of view to say that Polynesian culture was this or that. Each group had to be taken by itself, and its culture thoroughly investigated. Of all the peoples of Polynesia the Samoans were those who clung most tenaciously to their old culture and traditions. They still employed their old arts and crafts, and had not been influenced to any great degree by the Europeans. That was one reason why they were difficult to deal with. OLD TRADITIONS DROPPED It was difficult, too, for the Samoans to realise their position regarding the outside world. On the other hand the Eastern Polynesians, of which the Maoris and the Hawaiians were branches, were much more adaptable to the influence of the Europeans. They had dropped many of their eld traditions, and this made the investigations of the ethnologist much more difficult. The Maoris had absorbed modern culture perhaps more readily than any of the other Polynesian races. They had developed to an extraordinary extent. This, Dr. Buck says, is due to living in a colder climate where they had to adapt themselves to changes in temperature. At the same Lime the Maori had retained sufficient race pride to enable him to maintain some of his old traditions. For instance, when Dr. Buck returned from Honolulu and attended the ceremony of opening a big new meeting house at Gisborne he had to go through the ceremonies of weeping over the dead. The building of meeting houses was really the rallying point for the younger Maoris, but even though the traditions of race were revived they were able to take their place as European citizens and engage in the pursuits of everyday life. Dr. Buck’s object is to obtain as much data as possible from the various groups in the Pacific of the general culture of each race. Geneological tables are being compiled, histories of races and their migrations and racial customs are all being investigated. V\ hen these have been collected it will give the ethnologists something more or less definite on which to base their calculations. The Americans axe very keen on research work, the doctor states, and their available resources they are able to help research in every possible branch of science. The New York | Museum of Natural History, the Yale University and the Bishop Museum | have all combined and all funds for Polynesian research are now handed to the Bishop Museum in Honolulu. Dr. Buck pays a tribute to the Americans at the museum and says that ho has been afforded an opportunity of getting a background which will be good for him and a benefit to New Zealand. He also considers that the Institute of Pacific Relations is doing good work in investigating the j problems affecting the races of the i Pacific. This will lead to a better ; understanding. I This evening Dr. Buck will be the | guest of the Auckland Savage Club. He will -said by the Niagara on TuesI day on his return to Honolulu.