MAORI MEMORIES.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 26 May 1938, Page 9

MAORI MEMORIES.

LAND “SALES.” (Recorded by J.H.S. for “Times-Age”) In 1814 he Church Mission Society introduced Christianity and an attempt to teach writing, but our spelling was altogether hopeless for the Maori tongue, until in 1820 Professor Lee gave us the simplest and most acceptable euphonies in all the world. In 1844 the House of Commons reported that the Church first taught the Maori the rights and privileges of landed property. This is not so, for centuries before they ever heard of us they fought and died for their lands and their women. These were treasures which last for ever. Women breed warriors, and land makes food. One thing the Missionaries did was to commercialise land, which hitherto was a sacred entity. This they did by giving twelve axes for over 200 acres of the best land upon which to build a mission station —the equivalent of a penny an acre. That, and many subsequent transactions to which they attached a cross (ripeka) were not understood by the Maoris, who did not dream that their land could be parted with, any more than could faithful husbands or wives. A Parliamentary paper in 1938 said that the seed thus planted soon ripened. for in 1821 a Church Catechist bought 400 acres for £lO worth of goods. Baron de Thierry bought 40,000 acres through Mr Kendall of the Missionary Society for 36 axes in 1822 —2OO acres for a penny!

A million acres were bought by settlers and merchants from Sydney, between 1825 and 1829. In the next five years, 25,000 acres were purchased at Kaitaia and Hokianga, 17,000 of it by Missionaries.

Parliamentary reports then stated that the mission feared unscrupulous Europeans would thus reduce the natives to beggary.