THE PARIHAKA INFLUENCE

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVIII, Issue 81918, 26 February 1907, Page 2

THE PARIHAKA INFLUENCE

IK IT TO C'OXTIXL'Ey I.IL'KSTIOX OF TOUT'S SI't'CKSSOK.

TlllO J'liOl'llKTN AM) TIIHIIi (JOI.JJ.

PATRIARCHS S'l'll.L PISKKKH TOIII.'XU.USM. VUUXO NATIVIOS DK.SIKIO TO

JiliJiVK AWAY. OKKAT MKKTIXC AT WKlil V.'JCKI (By Ouv iSprciiil Itqioitrt'.)

Tin l extraordinary part played by 1 Te Whiti and Tohu, 1 Ju* J'arihaic. '"prophets' in tlu* live.- of flic Taranak and outside natives during the jm.s M years has no parallel in the whole oi tin. history of the Maori race. ■ men have stood between the .Maoris and prngre->; they have pre M-rveil to a grcal extent superstition and mystication amount their follow- >•)•-, and blocked tlie growth of civiliannoil and its ell'ect •; they have exerted s\u-l) potent inihiemv over the r fol-

lowers a,, to have demamled am! gained tribute which collectively is now „up posed to run into oyer 'i;r>o,oof), thereby keeping ihe natives in a state ot comparative impoverishment: anu generally have commanded an influence nver the Ma.iri race greater limn \\w influence exerted by any (government, •■uiv section of individual*, Maori or pakeha combined.

The .Maoris, in the*v blind Ja.lli, vc-po.-ed absolute confidence in the tohungas, and quite believed the claim*! of Te U'hiti and the late Tohn that they were possessed of divine power, were immortal, and were the Messiahs qf the Maori race. l'\>r the past thirty years the 'tohmigas prophesied the downfall of the pakeha and the ultimate .succession of the Maori. In the ; chants sung at Parilnika this hope, was | a I way,s the dominant chord struck. I All impossible, of course. The

Jlaor's Irsvc been deluded, just as scons of whilom liavc. been deluded by cliiirlaltiiiM like Dowie. Te Willii Ims been preaching the same doctrines lor so long a 'time that lie actually believes in them himself by now, while Tohu, whose l-eeeut death has canned sim-Ii a stir anouest, tlie natives of Taranaki, was as sincere ill the doctrine he expounded as any pjkeha preacher. Since the death of Tolm, however, the faith of some of his whilom foi-

lowers in Tohu's supernatural powciv has been rudely shaken. As one chief said: "I had faith in Tolm. He is dead now. lie was like dust, like all Of us. 1 don't think he was a true prophet, or else he would have come back to lil'e before now/'

Faith in Te Whiti as. a consequence of Tohu's death, has also been uil'ected, and there is some ground for belief that the time lias now arrived when the Pariiiaka influence wiil he dealt its death-blow, and when the scales covering the eyes of so many natives for so many year past will be removed.

It will be remembered that there was trouble at Parihaka over the mode ttf burying Tohn. Since then word! went forth that all followers of the late Tohu should assemble iu person ov ' be represented at a conference. This meeting is now being held at the Weri Weri pah, Hastings-road, between Nor-' manby and Okaiawa, and i,s being attended by natives from all parts of the island and Taranaki. The objects of the meeting are to consider the question as to whether a successor to To* Im should be appointed; or, instead, to renounce altogether the Pariiiaka faith; and to decide upon the mauuer of the disposal of the hoard of gold left by Tohu. Besides tlie Tohurtcs, there is quite a number of representative Te Whiti-ites present.

.Most of the older men who were great supporters of Tohu believe iu perpetuating the old order of tilings, though unwilling to 'transfer their nllegienee to Te Whiti; but the younger men evince a desire, to rid themselves of the I'ariliaka influence and devote themselves to dairying and other pursuits. The young men have on their side directors of intelligence, like William Fox and the ltcv, Haddou. Tlr< "Uorero" started' 'lapt civening (Alonday). Weri Weri, where the meeting, ><> momentous in the history of the Taranaki -Maoris, is taking place, is one of the oldest paiis in Taranaki. Its proper name is Aoteii, called after T«ri',s famous canoe, it is within short distance of Te-Xgiitn-j-te-Jlnnu, when! Yon Tempfsky, and his brave compatriots were butchered during the last Tara jiaki campaign. In fact, three of Titokowaru's leading warriors—Iki, Tauke. and Tailiuru, by name—are still to be found in the pah, and can relale the incidents i(f the lighting ui Te Xjrutu and elsewhere, and aye supposed to have participated in the cannibalistic feast that took place after (he disasters at Te Ngutu. it was at Weri Weri that King Potatau, grandfather of the present "King," the Hon. Mahuta Tawhiao J'otatau te Wherowhcro, lately a member of the N.Z. Cabinet, was crowned at the start of the King movement, since which time it has generally been regarded as the "seat of Government." 1 Us pcoplq p;rjde themselves upon not having been conquered in battle, and upon their association with Titokownru, whose right-hand men they were. They have always been hostile to the pakelni, though pre vious to the wars they were kindly disposed to the missionaries, evidence of whose interest in tliein is still visible close to tlie p.ih in the shape of 'lhe ruins of a Hour mill, which was worked regularly for years grinding the corn for the jMaoris of the neighbourhood. If tho mantle of Tohu is to fall upon p.notln*r, and it is hardly probable that it will, it is thought To' Kahupukoro will be the one. Kahu was a persona grata with Tohu, being one of the keepers of Toliu's gold store-room, lie and his satellites are expected to put up a big light for continuing the I'arihaka business.

The mooting is tiic mo,st important held amongst the Maoris for tho p:i thirty years, for upon its outcome will to a lavfto extent depend the shaping of the future destinies of tho Maoris ol Taranaki.

Jn future issues we will deal with the proceedings of the meeting and questions affecting the welfare of the Maori in these parts.