MAORI MEMORIES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 21 August 1939, Page 2

MAORI MEMORIES

MAORI JUSTICES OF THE PEACE. (Recorded by J.H.S. for “Times-Age.”) With the arrival of Kawama Karel (Sir George Grey) came a more generous understanding between the Maori race and our people. Unfortunately, there were many of our folks unworthy of the name "British" —escaped convicts, whalers, sealers k and sailors, degraded by drink and despair. Maori honour, guarded by fear of infringing their- sacred law of tapu (forbidden) and mana (influence), led the pioneer white settlers to place implicit trust in these splendid people. In every instance, acts designated "treachery” (konihi) on their part were actuated by a moral observance of the equally sacred law of reprisal (utu) for wrongs inflicted upon them or their tribe. Ignorance of these inherited laws and their instincts was the main cause of differences between us. Sir George assiduously studied and acquired a marvellous degree of proficiency in the knowledge of their language and their moral law. It is quite obvious that even today international differences are caused by a lack of these first essentials of peace. Very few people indeed even know why our Justices “of the Peace” were first created and so named. Their sole purpose was to “keep the peace.” Sir George, remembering this, appointed many worthy chiefs “for Justice and Peace,” each within his own district. Unfortunately, successive Governors and Governments were against this “undignified procedure,” and the appointments were cancelled.