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Public Meeting.
Address. by Dr. P. H. Buck (Te Rangi Hiroa)
On Saturday, 30th January, at 8 p.m. the public lecture in connection with the meeting of the Science Congress was delivered in the physics lecture room by Dr. Peter H. Buck, who is perhaps well known here by his Maori name of Te Rangi Hiroa. The distinction of the lecturer and the interest of his subject—“The Coming of the Maori”—proved a dual attraction that brought together a large audience. Dr. P. Marshall presided, and said they were proud of the fact that Dr. Buck was an old student of Otago University. He referred to Dr. Buck's peculiar qualifications for Polynesian investigations, and said he was widely known as one of the most picturesque lecturers this country possesses. Dr. Buck began by referring to the aspirations that were his as he crossed the Leith Bridge, 27 years ago, a boy fresh from Te Aute College, entering the pakeha's house of learning. Of one thing he had been proud, and that was the Maori blood he derived from his mother.—(Applause.) If he could do anything by lectures or other means to promote good understanding between the two races his sojourn at Otago University would not have been wasted. He briefly reviewed what is known of the origin of mankind in Europe, some 250,000 years ago, and remarked metaphorically the men of the Stone age were represented at the present Science Congress in its geologists.—(Laughter.) He mentioned the three types of European stock, and showed how these had mingled to form the “pure-blooded” English stock.—(Laughter.) Most of the peoples in the early history of the world in migrating walked to their destinations over the land bridges then existing. With the aid of a world map, he showed the vital significance of navigation in the early movements of the Polynesians. Their ancestors were probably a tall, longheaded, dark-skinned race. He had found from the measurement of 424 Maoris that the length of the leg in relation to the length of the body was less in them than in Europeans, and from this he argued that their ancestors had not been a pedestrian people, but had migrated over the water in canoes. The old Maori name for the Pacific was “The Great Ocean of Kiwa,” so named after a famous old Maori navigator. He believed that in the early history of these voyagers the Island of Raiatea was of even more importance than the larger island of Tahiti, and Karatea had upon it a marae of great significance, from which they took sacred stones to their new homes. From this centre they made wonderful voyages, including voyages to New Zealand and back, and as far as Easter Island. They came to be absolutely at home on the sea, and to have no fear of it at all. Any fatalities at sea they attributed to some mistake in religious ritual, and it did not inspire them with fear. The early Polynesians made long voyages simply from love of adventure, and some of their undertakings were startling to the point of impudence. The speaker outlined one of the Polynesian traditions describing what one of their voyagers had seen about the year 650 A.D. From this it appeared these men had gone to the “dark sea not seen of the sun” and had reached the Antarctic regions. Others later followed them out of sheer curiosity. He told next of a voyage of Sandwich Islanders to
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Tahiti and back again, guided by the stars, and added very interesting details of their methods of navigation and of the “magic calabash” which aided them. Admiral Rodman, of the U.S. Navy, had examined this calabash and found that it gave an angle of 19 degrees. Its purpose was to locate Hawaii, which, as a matter of fact, was on the nineteenth latitude. There was no doubt that a great deal of such knowledge had been lost. The man who got the most votes as having discovered New Zealand was Kupe. He certainly was the man who brought back news and sailing directions. It was quite likely that Maui was the man who fished New Zealand up out of the depths of the unknown, but he never told about it. Kupe lived about the year 950 A.D. He had domestic trouble and thought the best way out of it was a sea voyage.—(Laughter.) He sailed through. Cook Strait, which should be Kupe Strait, and he named Somes Island and Ward Island in Wellington Harbour after his two daughters. The last “Hawaiki” from which the Maoris came was not Hawaii, but Tahiti. When Kupe returned he was questioned by the old men. It must be remembered that the ancient traditions of the Maori were definitely taught in schools of learning by “professors” to specially selected students. Dr. Buck told of the store of sacred knowledge that had been committed to writing by an old Maori chief about 1860. His authentic tradition included the sailing directions of Kupe. Kupe did not report seeing any human beings in New Zealand, which he called Aotearoa. Navigators who followed two centuries later found the country inhabited. According to some traditions these early inhabitants were blown away from the west. The lecturer himself thought there must have been people here before 950 A.D. Men were specially selected and trained in self-denial to form the crew of a voyaging canoe. The crews that followed Kupe contained only men. They settled in the Bay of Plenty and mingled with the other dwellers they found here. Two centuries later, again owing to internal dissention in Tahiti, there was another migration of 22 vessels about the year 1350. Every Maori tribe in New Zealand traced its descent to one or other of the voyagers in these canoes. These voyagers brought the taro, the kumara, and other food plants. From the flax they evolved a totally new form of dress. According to tradition the expedition left Tahiti on November 28. It was estimated that the voyage would occupy about a fortnight or three weeks. They saw all the shore ablaze with red of the pohutukawa—the scarlet red of chieftainship welcoming them. By throwing his scarlet badge in the sea the chief symbolically closed the road back home, and they decided to remain in New Zealand. The Maori never offered a prayer for help except to Io, the highest god of all. Their prayer was to placate the evil forces—like the Negro who prayed: “If you can't help me, don't you help that bear.”—(Laughter.) In 1492 Columbus made his memorable voyage across the Atlantic, and he had to doctor the log, lest his mutinous sailors should know how far they were from home. There was no fear of that kind about the Maori. He quoted, first in Maori, and then translated, two historic and beautifully poetic and musical songs of the flashing canoe paddle, one of which was a prayer to the god Tane for a safe voyage to Aotearoa. The lecturer
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effectively contrasted the feats of navigation of these Maori and pointed out that they compared not unfavourably with the feats of our English ancestors of which we were so proud. It was essential to instil into the Maori race pride as used to be done in their old houses of learning. Something would have to be done to keep in the Maori some knowledge of their own splendid history. Would it not be useful also to incorporate into the teaching of all young New Zealanders something of the deeds of the Polynesian ancestors of the Maori and of what they accomplished—(loud applause)—so that they in turn would look upon the Maori beside them not as an inferior person, but would have a feeling of equal fellowship, knowing the race from which he had sprung and the deeds of which he was capable? The surest sign of the healing of the breach that had unfortunately occurred between the two races was when, during the war, the Maori people were maintaining a whole battalion of 1,000 in the field—a battalion of well-disciplined troops who had come back to New Zealand carrying the traditions of their ancestors and adding laurels to their records. They came back with this record that, of all dark-skinned races, the Maori of New Zealand held the best record of any in that hardest of all warfare, trench warfare. The Maori looked to the white people to have a right feeling towards them in the difficult days while they were changing from one culture to another. He closed by calling attention to an ancient alarm of his people, which he quoted and translated with dramatic effect. He applied it metaphorically to the present position of the Maori people, watching through fears for the coming of the sun to rise flaming o'er the world.—(Loud Applause.) Dr. Chilton expressed the appreciation of the audience of the lecture they had heard, and said the keen, close interest of the audience had been more eloquent than any words of his. He spoke of our pride in the Maori race, and said we could only think with shame of our part in many contacts we had had with that race. Dr. Buck had reminded us of the duty we owed to the Maori race. We had taken their country and brought them a culture very different from their own. The least we could do was to assist Dr. Buck and encourage that pride of race of which he had spoken. Mr. H. D. Skinner seconded and supported the vote of thanks. Professor H. B. Kirk said he thought that Dr. Buck's appeal should be recognised as not merely one to the emotions, but as one demanding some practical action on their part. He thought that the Science Congress ought to make some recommendation to the Minister of Education on this point. He moved: “That this Congress urges upon the Minister of Education that the teaching of New Zealand history in the schools shall include account of the achievements of the Maori and his Polynesian ancestors, and that we extend the noble traditions of our own race by adding the noble traditions of the Polynesians.” The motion was seconded by the Hon. G. M. Thomson, and carried with hearty unanimity.