Bogey-man

The authority system I have described belongs to the sub-culture of the Maori, a structure that I have designated elsewhere as the minor system of Maori social organisation. Beyond this is the world of the Pakeha. Maoris born into the minor system and socialised in its ways, soon became aware of Pakeha influence from outside their community. The Pakeha being an outsider to the Maori community may even have been used as a bogey-man by parents. This image of the Pakeha as something to be held in awe is soon reinforced by other contacts. Gradually the Maori child perceives that the Pakeha represents power beyond and above the authority of his community. He is the dairy inspector who can condemn the family milking shed for not being up to standard. He is the teacher who can mete out punishment at school for misdemeanours or slackness in work. He is the shopkeeper who can advance or withdraw credit, he is the postmaster who doles out family benefit, the boss who can give his father the sack, or the policeman who puts bad people in gaol. In this way, the Maori child learns the difference between Maori and Pakeha, between minority and majority group status. He also perceives that in material matters Pakehas are more affluent than Maoris.

By comparison with the Pakeha. being a Maori despite all its positive aspects, may end up as a negative quantity. Research by Vaughan1 has shown that up to the age of seven and eight Maori children may suffer from an identity conflict. They think that they look like Pakehas because they have acquired a sufficient knowledge relating to the culture of the out group to want to belong to it. Besides, the Pakeha authorities tend to define Maoris in a negative way. Since the time of Sir George Grey for instance, the Maori has been defined as a "problem", for which the solution was assimilation. In recent years much time and thought has been given to the "problem of Maori education". Last week a headline in an Auckland newspaper following the release of the Social Welfare Department's report stated that "Maoris top juvenile crime list."2 These negative definitions of the Maori serve to deepen the identity conflicts of Maori children. Together with the disadvantages in minority group status they lead to loss of pride and low self esteem expressed in being whakaitia (shy ).