MAORI MEMORIES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 29 May 1940, Page 3

MAORI MEMORIES

A PENNY AN ACRE. (Recorded by J.H.S., o£ Palmerston North, for the “Times-Age.”) All concessions made by the white minority to the Maori majority were regarded as signs of weakness, and only tended to increase the breach of faith between them.

Few Maoris understood anything of cur language, laws, and beliefs, and still fewer whites knew anything regarding Maori ways. Next to their sacred law of Tapu which we so often unwittingly offended, the law Utu (payment or reprisal) was of paramount importance. The outstanding feature of the Maori people was their forbearance for those of us who, in ignorance, constantly offended their ancient belief in and regard for Tapu and Utu.

Hitherto the Maoris were always on the defensive in disputes with us; now they naturally became domineering.

Tahae (theft) they regarded only as Utu (repayment). Herehere (prison) as a debasement to Parau (lavery). In consideration of this we altered the penalty for theft to that of repaying four times the value of stolen articles. After 1840 the sole right of purchase for land was vested in the Government. As money was scarce the Maoris complained that the Government would neither buy it nor allow others to do so.

In 1844 Governor Fitzroy permitted settlers to buy land from the Maoris on payment of 10s an acre to the Government as “Royalty." This also failed and the Maoris in overwhelming numbers by threats of revolt caused the Governor to proclaim a penny an acre as the price under which nearly 100,000 acres were "bought" by settlers.