The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-01-21

treated the primitive culture OF the |
natives in superficial manner, we
know next to nothing Of one of the |
great races of mankind. Ethnologists
and others assert that we must ascer-
tain their origin, tribal tradition, and
general affinities before the final his
tory of the human race can be written
It is also held that such a knowledge
must be in hand before higher civil
cation can successfully and permanent
~ be grated on.
How little we really know today of
the physical, mental, moral, linguistic,
social, religious, esthetic and Industrial
characteristics of the people of the Pa
cifc! Think of the dearth of data con
corning the problems of race mixture
and the causes of racial decay among
many of the dependent peoples inhablt-
| ing these far-scattered islands, More
| theories have probably been PROFOUND
/ ed and dogmatically asserted concern
ing the origin of the Pacific Islanders
! than of any other race of men. The
study to be made of this important
basic question will not only seek to de-
| termine the mode of entry of man into
| the region as an emigrant from some
| branch of the human stock-but the
inquiry will no doubt throw much light
on the evolution of the human race it.
self Much valuable material will
doubtless be collected in the region that
will assist in better understanding of
the growth of our own civilization from
elemental savagery. For it is reason
able to suppose that the primitive
wants of man in different ages and
regions have called forth similar ex-
pedients to satisfy them. And here it
may be said that the plane of culture
which has disappeared before a hardy
and aggressive civilization, has, in some
cases, been of a much higher order than
the intolerance of the early white man
/
Polynesian race, this is especially true.
The religious system of this people
had attained perfection and elabora-
ton of ritual such as has been equaled
by few other people. The origin of
the dreaded tabu and its development
into a wonderful religious and political
engine indicates an intelligence of no
mean order. The ceremonial by which
the hereditary castles and offices was
maintained and by which a social sys-
tenn was upheld bears witness of sue
cession of remarkably endowed political
rulers.
| The chronological result of the mis-
! sonaries' presence among the natives
is also to be recorded. The motive
which actuated these workers is ire
: proachable, but unfortunately, as a
class, the ministers of the gospel have
) been singularly deficient in realizing
: the Importance of preserving an account
of native customs and habits. Many
5 noteworthy exceptions, however, occur
| to this statement, and the names of
. several missionary fathers will always
, be associated among those who have
) contributed to Pacific knowledge.
By the not unnatural antagonism of
the Christian missionaries 70 the
heather cult, all that pertained to the
native religion was sternly suppress
ed. The native converts to Christi.
S anity, in the zeal and bigotry of their
new faith, in turn did everything in
their power to suffocate the earlier
4 religion, ana thus effected the extirc-
g ton of much which cannot be deter
! mined. Together with the ban placed
upon the native religion, the whole
realm of myth, genealogy, legend and
3 history fell into disrepute, until in
: stead of preserving more or less ac
p curate record of their race in theil
elaborate oral traditions, the native
= tribes in many instances now present
i the condition of isolated units, lack
: ing the record of their past and sew
q cred from their affinity to other PEG
pies. One especially beneficial worE
of the missionaries in this region ha'
been the early translation of the Bible
i into many native tongues, which ha
: thus helped to preserve a record o.
!, the languages of the region much il
i their early purity.
J 1t is probably not too much to sa.
3 that in the Pacific as great change
h are now wrought ethnologically, il
FIVE years, as without the influence o
8 the Caucasian would be wrought il
o many generations. Another ten year
V will probably be too late in which
+ with any prospect of satisfactory re
!, suit, a complete chronological explora
u ton of this region can be conducted
# Unless the work is actively undertak
IS en- long before this period has elapsed
n the value to be derived Therefor
will be very greatly diminished.
That which is true Of the Polyne
IS sian race as a people is equally tru
II of the material in every department
n of natural history. That which il j
/ so important to preserve of record
Il everywhere passing away or changin
in character. Then, too, an exhaust
lie i've examination of any one snbje:
n in the Pacific is so interviewer wit
| others that the study of the one