Maori Relations With the Crown: A Story of Deprivation, Restitution, and a Question of Where to go Next -- Part 1 - Introduction

This is part 1 of a 7 part series from my final term paper in my Ethnics class. Tell me what you think. (plus it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside to do a "series" of posts)

Introduction

The New Zealand Maori have had a long history of oppressive relations between themselves and the Government. Their history contains many similarities to other indigenous peoples such as the American Indians and the Australian Aborigines concerning the relationship between the tribes and the government. In the case of the Maori, the relationship with the Crown completely changed the natural order of the Maori life. The confiscation of land and sovereignty cast the Maori into a state of struggle against the Crown, and the subsequent battles between the tribes and the Crown continue to this day—the weapons of diplomacy and law now replacing the tomahawk and rifle. I will attempt to show in this paper the Maoris’ history of struggle against the Crown and how it has evolved.

In my opinion, it appears the Maori suffer from a type of Stockholm Syndrome in terms of their dealings with the Crown and New Zealand Government. The British and subsequent local governments have both stolen land and killed many of the Maori people. They contributed greatly to the near extinction of the Maori language through government run education and political pressure. The Maori have not taken this abuse lightly and have fought against such oppression, using both violence and diplomacy. However, instead of unchaining themselves from the chains of government control, they have decided to use the State to achieve their goals—the very entity that took from them. The movements for rights in the 1960s and 70s struggled with “the dilemma of whether to align themselves with radical and reformist groups dominated by Pakeha {European New Zealanders} or to stress Maori cultural and political exclusivity” (Sharp 94). By analyzing the history of government interventions with the Maori we can see the injustices done to the Maori and try to understand their positions today and what directions they can take.