New Zealand’s indigenous Maori population is angered by the outcomes of a study suggesting they have high levels of a gene related to “aggression”. Maoris form about 8% of New Zealand’s population of 4.1 million. According to Rod Lea, a genetic epidemiologist at the Institute of Environmental Science and Research in New Zealand, Maori men are twice as likely to carry mono amine oxidase, also known as the “warrior gene” in comparison to European men.

The gene was also linked to risk taking behavior such as smoking and gambling; his findings were revealed during a genetics conference in Australia. Lea commented “We have to be clear that behavioral traits such as susceptibility to addiction, aggressive behavior, risk taking, all those sort of things, are extremely complex and they are due to numerous factors including non-genetic environmental factors like upbringing and other lifestyle factors”

This find has angered Maori party leaders. Tariana Turia, Maori Party co-leader, has said, “I’ve been asked by reporters whether this gene is the reason why we’re a violent race, why we feature so highly in criminality rates, that we’re predisposed towards aggression.” She added, “(We) once were gardeners, once were astronomers, once were philosophers, once were lovers.” While Maori lawmaker Hone Harawira added that such descriptions were referred to for decades and he stopped listening to them.

Domestic violence in New Zealand was described as “endemic” and “shameful” by a government report and was highlighted with an incident involving the fatal injury of Maori twins in Auckland last June. Chris and Cru Kahui, 3 month old twins, suffered severe head injuries which were not explained as their Maori family refused to assist with police investigations. The Kahui twins were not a rare case according to a UNICEF report, every year between 18,000 and 35,000 children are exposed to domestic violence. When using New Zealand’s white population as the standard for normalcy, Maori infants are twice as likely to be admitted to the hospital with “intentional injury”, according to government figures.

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thanks to DarkAngelJG for the story