THE PAKEHA MAORI. [From tee Waka Maori.)

Waikato Times, Volume V, Issue 270, 3 February 1874, Page 2

T HE PAKEHA MAORI. [From tee Waka Maori.)

'Hr° Maori friends in paat. years were. familial v.ith i clis; o* moj kooi>-J *c "Pakeb.. Jiaoria." The gemiuu, oil PtWjj.v ilaon u cj longer to be found fa thc3e dcguuOfato time* — he baa long oeaaed. to exist. Hift clais was vuriounl y rep"e*Bnto l First, th^re wan the indoli'nt, do-notl'inp; Prtkeha Maori, wwh > generally locate hirttolf in lome Maori Pih or Vihn(« The chief buiinett of hii Jit'e oons^to.l m e'Uimj;. awoitintf an.< «liHit>mg He w-uaommfcomad tovratob with etgtM 1 eye, tUo «ul\DAry prep^rAviairt of oacu family in tho vilUge, and at such t:m*i mi alwnyd to be lound wiitini; by tbe aide t.f the pot. or nativo oven, containing the grease deiioa^ea When filled to repletion, he would recline beneath ilu siudejjof some weeping willow trwe.aud, ■ aoking himself tv Bieep, became oblivious of the world and I it 3 cares. As a rule he was uneducated and ignorant, ] although he piofeeaa.! to instruct his M.vori friend 3 in all f'e mysteries of the P-ikeha economy- He was very foud of descanting toati *n^ri of th- P.ikeha rr-ce up?n the pure descent of hi 3 native wife f"oui the chieftains of the highest rank, and hit o^vn " it expectations'" from her extensive claim* to lind. Although naturally Uzy, he would on apecial occasions put f«>nh gr»>At energy, and show great powers of physical endurance— that is to say. on pig hunting, bailing, andsucb liko expeditions, —and he was conseqently patronised and -pettei by the native* auiougst whom he so] itiraed Sometime 1 *ha \v*m i tiim'ad by some trad r \vi' h a supply of merchandise for trafficking with the natives, which he speedily distributed among vis native fiiendi in general, an 1 bi< wife's ralat.ves in pAnaonlar We know -no of tins class tv the .Ahunri district, of whom it mm said tli t, whenever he obtained a stuck of gooda, ha used to pi"s tho eiuls of hia rolls of calicoes and priuti ont of the windnvv. an I alww the native wyiuen te hu"i &%ivy Rt theia (ill they oriel out in tlipir timid aiUMenoe, " ritop, Bobby ! atop !" rhis Itim! of Pakeha Maoii wa« thoroughly ideutifie 1 witl: the Maoris, *-iu fact he waa a Maj.i in all but the color of his aiun. Then there w^s the "gentleman" Pakeha Maori, who amused hitnaelf by travelling about fioin place to place in native dutiict* with hia dog and his gun, his pipe and hi» tobacco. He too had "great expectations" a* he never tirod of | assuring tae natives, and he usually succeeded in passing himself off oa a man of important. To save appearances he {j^nerally managed to keep ■< aioclt Hhilling or two in his pocket. He protested to entertain tbe highest admir.ition and esteem for tho native race, and was an enthusmstici admirer of the eobei sex, with whom he was a general favourite. In the3e later dnys thu class was developed in the speciea known as '• Miu.ri doctors." Then again ihe trauer, a iv& u pob^eased of auiut; property. He generally united himself to some fair lady of the native rate, and impoverished himself in trading speculations with her people. We shall not now, however, speak of any further varieties of the genus Pakeha Maori of the olden time. In these plodding, money-making days, men's minds arc fixed upon one object, namely, the icquieitiou of money. And we find a new species of P.ikcca Maori has sprung up in our midhfc, who is not a vthU behind his neighbors in that respect. He is not a genuine Pakeha Maori, but a sort of mongrel half-breed. There is no probability of the native* oi I«e" Zealand having to call out to him, " Stop, Bobby, stop t" in respect of any good he is likely to confer upon them as a race, but rather in respect of the <l»oiHge he is likely to do them by his officious interference with their affairs. He is generally a person of very inferior attainments, but possessing, nevertheless, a very exalted opinion of hia own impoitxnoe. Unsuccessful among hi* nw n comifrymen in the race for wealth and position, and having acquired a smattering of tbe Maori language, be «ndeavours to r<nri<:h himself by practising upou the inexperience *\nd cedti'ity of the Maori people. He professes gr«M antiefcy for their welfare, symp».thi>e« with them in what he calls tbeir wrongs, talks of * bad laws," restitution of confiscated lando, recovery of lands unfairly acquired by •U^honest Pakehas, affects great airs, and offeis himself as tneir champion generally, ami assures them if they will only submit themselves and their affairs to his guidance he will remedy all these evila. He declaies the rakebas are afraid of him, and that the Government would give htm anything he asked if he would only throw the Maoris overbain) ; but no, he will never desert them— he is their frietid, fltai'iich to the backbone. And is *H this profession uuseltinh ? Is it itnaccoinpnuted by some proposal foi his own bciietiti' It is unnecessary for us to answer these questions. The Maoris know full well that in no single instanoe have they ever found one of this class of Pakeha Maoris oDenng bis service* gtfttuitously. If he <lo not receive direct payment he ttluats manages to b^oent himself inilireoly—and without beiieh'ttiiig his dupts, the Maohs in 'he leant. But what cares he fer that? He is inteca^ly <eltibl), -lrifi his own is the only object ho has in view. You Know thf old Niaonproveib, " Itiuousat^ god ; to leave Hapojvo m tiotible!" So with this u.MUjp of * pakeba Maon, a fool nud a deceiver, he will lead H/ipopo into troubl.- and there leave him. He will noc Lium-if do auythuiwf o'j which tbe law can Fay hold. Oh deal, no ! lie k^t.pH a ncilv within the palo cf the Jaw, be uvlvisois his^. \1 lori'i'ifuniis io do eveiy thing legally— to proo#*d hy puoic meetings, ti> petition L'ailiimcnt for thiiiga be knows tht-y w ill not obtain, to ihbii.'ute aoliona at lfc>« And ho forth. In all this he bieaks no law, but he excites the native mind, and enc^ura^eß hope, v, iiLh must cud in disa-ppoiutuent ; and it is not his fault if they do cot ifefcdei thtiufl^lvc# amen.ible to the law. The AJoors believe that Ihose men are actuated purely by love f)r the Mdon race ? If they do, thi-/ arc urtally mis-takt-n. 'llu'y i.re s.injjly ua.ng the Maori as c. kvd'Ur by means of wliich to ascend to a poiition of affluence and pDwi^r, as they f >ivl!y liope ; and then, baring attained their obJK-t, tlu-y will kioh tl c ladder ot»t into the mud. If we taw them and their iui portori expending their own money and treasure in (urtlitTunw of their Utopian. ecUeaie*, wo nhould at li'njt pivi« them credit for eiuueritr. W>> hn>e no space to pursue th» subject further at present, but wi> tuny al some iutut'e time return to it. In the meantime we ndvise the Muoiitt uot to RulTer themnelvet to be nii»ld(l by gucn entity schemers, if they would avoid mauy dmi^rouo reptiles.