Don't judge too harshly says reader

Taupo Times, Volume 23, Issue 56, 16 July 1974, Page 1

Don't judge too harshly says reader

Sir, At this stage of mixed sociology in New Zealand, the condition and care of the children in Rifle Range Road is, of course, inexcusable — and the domestic dereliction irresponsible. The case does, however, serve to point out the failure of the European to recognise the essential elements .of Maori culture — and the Maori' to adjust to European culture. Lest we judge the case too harshly, let us all remember we have, by legal means, robbed the Maori «f their chiefs, their tohungas and their maraes — and all three were ?complementary to each othet\ To the Maori, children — any child in or out of wedlock — belonged, like all land and chattels, not to , any person bilt to the tribe. With the tribe rested the responsibility of the sus- , tenance, shelter, education and training (two vastly different things to the Maori) so that on the * marae as it was mothers fwent to their occupations while the karematuas — the grand-parents — cared for, fed and educated the vyoung. There are no maraes today; there are maraes, of course, in the building and land sense but the heart and spirit of a marae to a large extent has been lost. Fifty years ago, such cases as that in Rifle

Range Road could not have happened. As for the chiefs, they really were the heart of Maori government. They made decisions and gave out imperative instructions. This largely explains the frequent abortive result of so many Maori meetings today. The European appoints an executive officer, passes a resolution and the executive officer gives the resolution effect. The Maori passes resolutions but has not yet wholly realised that there is no chief to finally decide and give effect to the wishes of the people. As for the tohungas, let it be understood they were anything but witch-doctors. The very name: tohu (wise), nga (the) fixes their status. The tohungas — pronounced tar-hooud (not toe-hunger) — were the specialists for religion, fishing, hunting, agriculture, war, building controls and politics. So without the chiefs, the tohungas and the maraes, we have imposed on the Maori a social order we can hardly expect him, with 100 years of civilisation, to accept. One hundred years after the Roman occupation of Britain we lived in hovels and painted ourselves with woad. Judge not too harshly. Claude Watson.