The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1894-03-09
THE PASSING OF A RACE.
Since the Advent OF the White Man
the Maori Has Been Dis
appearing
The Story of His People as Told
by q New Zealand
Chieftain.
Maori of To-day. savage OF Yesterday. Pc
ished and DrsPod In English
Finery-sAd Plaint.

A strange, pathetic swan song Of dy
Ing people. sung by its chief, is the plain
made TO the civilized world by Apirani
Turupu Ngata, head Of the Maori nation
In series OF essays lately printed in
New Zealand paper. The chief Is wei
educated man, graduate of a colonial
university, the equal in culture Of the best
class Of white people who occupy his ma.
tive land. But he is a native at heart, a
Maori in feeling. sympathies and aspi.
rations. and all his thoughts are those of
his people.
At the advent Of the white man in New
Zealand the MaOris, heroic race, then
sole owners Of the country, were a numer-
ous people Twenty years ago, although
even then much diminished by diseases
brought by their conquerors, they number
ed 100 600 Today but few more than
40,0 900 OF the race remain. Outwarlly it
Is a much changed people, too, FOR it has
adopted the white mans clothes. his GUS
toms. most Of his vices and ostensibly his
religion. But at heart the Maori is saw
age yet.
In his series Of essays on his people the
chief tells much that is interesting Of their
-
feelings, but ever and anon he comes back
and dwells on the one theme that is filling
his mind and soaring his heart-the decay
ing and approaching extinction Of his race.
His language Is remarkably eloquent and
full Of lofty metaphor and symbolism,
and somberness ovorspreads all his
thoughts, and sorrow echoes in all he says.
He writes bitterly, yet not vengefully, Of
the woes tle white man has brought to
his people. not alone Of wrongs inflicted,
but Of the suherings and defeats that in
evitably must come of the contact of "A
weaker and a stronger race. The Maoris,
he says, are dying Of contact with the
white man, and nothing but "A miracle can
save them, and a miracle there will not be.
He gives an interesting account Of the
impression made by Christianity on the
Maoris. His countrymen, the chief says.
were attracted 70 the white mans creed
almost wholly because Of the miraculous
l;areer ascribed 20 Christ. They have a
great craving for the supernatural, and
the doings Of Christ took great hold ON
their imaginations. But the native priests,
taking advantage OF the lesson, have large
ly turned their people from even "a sem
blance of adhesion 20 Christianity by feed
Ing their craving for the miraculous, and
in the lines Of the old beliefs, or rather by
formulating a new creed called Hanhau-
ism, which has spread greatly.
" The feelings and motives that influence
the Maori's inner and more private life
today, says Chief Apirans, "are the same
that influenced him ages ago, though
tanned and refined by conformity 90 Euro
pean customs, by contact with European
civilization and by the farreaching influ-
ence Of Christianity Your Maori Of today
Is but the savage Of yesterday. polished
and draped in English finery. Within him
there are raging the fierce passions that
but awhile ago made him revel in slaugh-
ter and cannibalism. His hands are bound
with the manacles Of civilization and hui
manity, but they are restless to grasp once
more the spear, the taiaha and mere Out
vardly be accepts the truth Of Christian
teaching and worships the Pakoha god
most reverently, but his mind is governed
by superstition, and his secret longiugs
and natural tendencies are toward the to-
hungas, the only visible monuments Of his
old priesily regime
The Maori. says the chief, hates the Pa
kcha, the white man, and yet is irresisti-
bly, drawn 10 his settlements aud compell-
81 % degrading imitation of the worst Il
his ways q life. which eventually kill OH
the pure race and leave only the degener-
ate. half caste people, against whom Chief
Apirana is specially bitter. i'illicit inter
course, vice and immortality have already
destroyed the purity Of the race " he says.
have stunted race once famous for its
physique. have rooted out whatever indus
trial tendencies survived other peruiciou.
Influences and degraded the characteris-
tics 1t once possessed Of hospitality, liber-
ality, bravery and manliness. " The only
hope Of improvement he secs is in the de-
portation OF all the lower whites. and this
be himself declares 20 be impossible Ed
ueation only renders the Maori unfit TO
take part IN the struggle for life IN which
his race is engaged. Taking away the
outer show Of their savagcry. il takesa ggav
ar the same time their stamina Notable
Maori men and women there have been.
educated and enlightened to "a high degree.
but in the majority Of cases there has
eventually been total relapse Of the cs-
tehsihly educated Maoris into the WAYS Of
their iorefathers. And now this once pow
ertul people b. on tho verge az extinction.
Explanations 10 account for the fading
out Of existence a. the Ma0ris are not bard
TO hnu, aud onb seems 90 bee near tLctrufh
that is that the race Is pcrishing Of mel
hucholy md heart break There /. an
The Iolynesiau and Mcianesiau rncf.g "a
strange and strong liability 20 despair
Entire independence and uuhamnercd inn
"ginntion seem essential % their vitality.
aud when these attributes are subdued
ana co"ed by The obvious superiority az
an intrudlng race, ass hF the white man.
they seem 20 give mp tho wish TO live. 20
lose even the capacity for living. This
hopclessness Inns been Clearly traced In AN
The Australian tribes and IS akin 10 that
felt by oonscript soldiers engaged ia ex-
petitions for which they have hnd no
heart. 10 seems 20 have been especially
strong boz The Maoris. who in their urifo.
were proud. Imaginative people. mn %
the love % poetry and story and a. pride
in the achievements Of their tribes. Hone
lessness and heartLrea4. one must con
cludc from the remarkable e-savs bv Chief
Apirana Iurupu NgHta, are the melan-
choly explanation of the fading out Of *
istence % the once powerful and numerous
Maori rnce.-St. Louis Globe Democrat
People with hair that is continually fall.