Three Questions

I was able to find out a little from registration records—for example that the rate of intermarriage in Auckland was increasing rapidly—but what really interested me were the answers to three questions.

Most Meetings In Public Places

In answer to the first of these questions I found that there were many opportunities in the city for young people to come together, but there were two factors which made this less effective than it might have been. The first was that in most cases these meetings were in public places—dance halls, cinemas, and so on —while most of the married couples I talked with had met through introductions by friends and family. The second was that there was a section fo the Pakeha community which had little contact with Maoris at all. These were mostly people in the better sorts of jobs living in high-priced housing areas where few Maoris could afford to live. Of course these people did see and hear of Maoris but in most cases when they saw them it was as road menders, and usually when they heard of them it was to do with court cases in the paper. They therefore, very understandably, had a rather unbalanced idea of what Maoris are really like and were not usually prepared to make the effort to remedy this. Of course there were exceptions.

There were many mixed couples who did get to know each other and who started dating. In nearly all cases this was accepted by their friends, but in many (both Maori and Pakeha) their parents were not entirely happy about the arrangement. In a lot of cases parental objections did not start until the dating became steady (it was then that parents began to think of marriage as a possibility), but in nearly every case once the marriage had taken place the parents on both sides accepted the situation and usually grew fond of their Pakeha or Maori son- or daughter-in-law.

What Special Problems?

What special problems were faced by these people who made mixed marriages? Well, a few faced continuing problems with their parents and ‘in-laws’ but most found no great difficulty in adapting to the situation. In some cases where the Maori had already adopted a Pakeha way of life, or the Pakeha knew Maori ways and accepted them, there were important changes to be made by either the husband or the wife. It was sometimes a matter of food tastes or language or it might be the more deeply imbedded attitudes to life which still separate many Maoris from many Pakehas. In most cases I found that the couple were well aware of the problems they faced and took a sensible and well balanced approach to them.

A Joint Project

Finally I would like to relate what I have said to the general position of the Maori in contemporary New Zealand. The Maori contribution to New Zealand life will not be the retention of a specific culture by a small group who identify closely with this (although this will probably always exist—and there's certainly nothing wrong with it), but an overlay

on all New Zealand culture. Already we have a situation where nearly all Maoris have some Pakeha kinsfolk even if perhaps only by marriage. It will not be long before the same applies to Pakehas—that is that they will all have a ‘family relationship’ with some Maoris. This will open up the way for the close integration of the two groups as long as one important thing takes place at the same time—the spread of Maoris throughout all levels of jobs. And this is a joint project. A heavy responsibility rests on the shoulders of all Pakehas (particularly those in positions of responsibility) to at least place no obstacle in the way of striving Maoris. An equally heavy responsibility rests on Maori shoulders (particularly of those who show at school that they are capable of taking on skilled and professional work) to grasp every opportunity which may lead to success; to be tolerant of those Pakehas who, although they may appear clumsy and patronising, are often trying to do their best to help; to open up every avenue that leads to closer social relations.

A Positive Force For Good

The study of mixed marriages has shown me clearly that in nearly every case where a Pakeha is confronted with a Maori ‘in-law’ he soon accepts him and often changes his whole attitude towards Maoris. Mixed marriage is therefore much better seen as a positive force for good in the New Zealand community than as a disruptive force within the Maori section of the community. Whether or not features of Maori culture which are held so dear survive in the second half of the 20th Century rests much more on the skill with which they can be blended into the total New Zealand culture than on the retention of a ‘racially pure’ group. (I wonder how many Maoris have no Pakeha ancestry? The latest census says 54%. My guess is not more than 10% at the outside.)

Dr John Harre is a lecturer in Social Anthropology at Otago University.