PUBLISHING WORK AMONG THE MAORIES by Stephen Nelson Haskell

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Dec 30, 1886

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 12, No. 50.

PUBLISHING WORK AMONG THE MAORIES

By Stephen Nelson Haskell

The Third Angel's Message in New Zealand.—No. 5.

PUBLISHING WORK AMONG THE MAORIES.

IN the preceding articles we have briefly alluded to the Maories, the original inhabitants of New Zealand, speaking of their general character and mentioning the fact that the truth is already finding its way among them. Some further particulars may be of interest to the reader. It is estimated that there were over a half a million of them when the island was first discovered, but in this as well as in other colonies, civilization has greatly reduced their numbers.

There seems to be something in civilization which greatly increases the mortality among uncivilized people. Perhaps one of the things contributing to this, is the change in their clothing, and the adoption, in part at least, of the European dress. The Maories especially were very desirous of patterning after the English manners, and to be dressed as a European was among them the highest honor, that of being king excepted.

At first, for a number of years, there existed nothing but peace and good-will between the natives and the white men. But their desire to imitate the latter in dress, etc., led them to make great sacrifices to secure the coveted clothing, blankets, agricultural implements, and other improvements of civilization. All of these things had been furnished by the Government and supplied to the missionaries for free distribution among the natives, but some of the missionaries took advantage of their ignorance, and oftentimes for a fish-hook, or a blanket, the natives would exchange a piece of land, sometimes an entire valley, bordering on a bay, or some desirable location, which by his sagacity the white man knew would sometime become valuable and command a large price.

By such methods, the Maories were greatly wronged by unscrupulous white men. In process of time, others still more unprincipled came to the colony and began to settle, and as there were more men than women among these pioneer settlers, many of them married among the Maories. Some of them engaged in the sale of liquor, and pursued a course that was greatly condemned by the missionaries, and others who were laboring for the good of the Maories, thus bringing about a bitter feeling between the two factions of whites. Those who had intermarried with the Maories tried to prejudice them against the missionaries by magnifying the injuries which the latter had done in defrauding them of their land. This course led to strife, and the missionary stations were burned, the natives ever after being suspicious of anything bearing the name of missionary.

The Hare family, as we have noted, sustained nothing but friendly relations with the Maories, both in their business transactions and their efforts to better them religiously, and so exerted quite an influence over them. When we were in New Zealand, the plan was formulated to have a paper published in the Maori language, the paper to consist of four pages, devoted to extracts from our temperance works, Bible-readings, cuts, and stories from the Instructor, and other matter of interest. Cuts to appear on the first page have already been sent to Australia. One difficulty we could see, and that was to secure the interest and co-operation of those who were competent to translate, so many of the old missionaries, who understood the language thoroughly, having died, or removed to other fields. It was thought that if we could publish such a paper, and scatter it gratuitously among the Maori people, at present numbering about 50,000, most of whom nominally profess Christianity, it might lead them to become interested in the truth.

It was found that friends, and even those who made no profession of religion, felt an interest in the work, and were willing to donate toward the expense of such an undertaking. We felt quite sure that sufficient means would be given before we commenced publication, to carry the expense for a year, and we only lacked a competent translator. There was one gentleman who had formerly taken an active interest in the Maories, having affected a translation of the Bible into their language, and who was also interested in the temperance work. His aid was solicited. We might further say that the Maori language is very simple, containing about fourteen letters, though many of the words are very difficult to pronounce by one who is unaccustomed to the sound of their letters. Each syllable ends with a vowel, giving the words a sound very peculiar to the English ear, though very musical when spoken by one understanding the language. From a letter written Oct. 10 by Brother Hare, I copy the following:—

"I have seen our friend, Mr. D., who lives at the North Shore. I have visited him about six times, leaving him some Bible Echoes, and to my great surprise he is one with us as regards the law, and Sabbath question, and he has offered to translate any of our tracts into the Maori language, and, best of all, he has agreed to do it free. As he is getting old, and is at present engaged in a new revision of the Maori Bible, I am going to have him translate a few of our tracts as a standby. I hope when I write next time, to be able to say more relative to the poor Maories."

It is evident that erelong the time will come when we shall have a Maori paper. For many reasons this paper could be published at Auckland better than at Melbourne, but the circumstances connected with this feature of the work only indicate the fact that God has gone before his people, and wherever he has a people his Providence favors every effort to get the truth to them.

Laborers are what are needed at the present time. Our brethren who have long believed the truth should freely pledge of their means to sustain the work, and where this is not done, God's Providence raises up men who will freely give to the work, even those who have but recently embraced the truth. We can but feel that the time has come that our faith in every respect should be practical. Whatever the word of God assures us is true, and whatever God has promised to accomplish by his truth, we should believe and act as though it was really so.

There is one habit among the Maories, which is fast loosing its hold upon them, the heathen practice of tattooing themselves. Formerly all those of the royal family, and the aristocracy, were tattooed, but it is not very frequently done at the present time, though some of the young men and women still continue the disfiguring process. The custom was to cover the entire face and all other visible parts of the body, with the hideous-looking figures, which, to the eye of civilization, are anything but pleasing and desirable. The mode of procedure was to take a sharp stone, cutting into the flesh and following by an application of black coloring material, which on their copper-colored skin presents a most horrible appearance. The women are tattooed on their lower lip, three marks, running from the lower part of the lip

under the chin. Sometimes the upper lip is also marked. The operation is so severe that only a small surface can be tattooed at once, so it takes some time for a chief or leading man to become sufficiently marked to indicate his high position.

They have a system of bringing to justice those who violate their laws, which is novel, but greatly preferred among them to the English method. They are a very moral people. The violation of the seventh commandment is treated with the greatest severity. The man is forever ostracized, and his property confiscated and given to the abused party. Any complaint of theft or robbery must be carried to the chief, who calls a council. No one is allowed to make their accusations standing, but must remain seated, as they say people are liable to get excited when standing. At first they have a smoke and a social talk, and after they have become friendly, the grievances are presented, with the evidence. The chief then makes an examination of the evidence and renders a decision. The decisions in such cases oftentimes very much exceed justice, the person wronged receiving much more than his loss had been.

They have also very curious customs in reference to the dead, though these have changed very much since the advent of the white man among them. One custom was to leave at the foot of a tree near the place of burial, the implements used by the deceased. They had a superstitious idea that any one who would take these would contract the same disease which caused the person's death. This idea was dispelled by the white man, who would steal articles from their burial places and of course did not suffer as was anticipated by the natives. This custom accordingly was largely given up, as also many other superstitious notions, because of the course of the white men toward them.

We cannot but feel that in the day of God there will be a large number of these natives gathered among those who will believe his truth, and stand upon Mount Zion. We can only say, may God speed the time, when out of every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, there will be gathered representatives, observing God's commandments, and who will finally inherit the kingdom prepared for the people of the Most High. S. N. H.