Chronology for 1900-1937
On the fringes of mono-cultural welfare
Most Māori lived in rural enclaves of Aotearoa New Zealand and practiced customary ways of living and caring for whānau. However, assimilationist policies and a capitalist economic framework were beginning to impact, especially with the migration of adults in search of paid work. By 1920, Māori land holdings had decreased to 8% of total New Zealand lands and the population had increased from 56,987 in 1921 to 82,326 in 1936.[i] go to footnote Factors contributing to this significant population growth, which continued beyond the 1920s, were ‘falls in infant and child mortality, especially but not exclusively from the end of the 19th century to 1976’, ‘reductions in mortality at older ages’, and ‘the high relative fertility of Māori women’.[ii] go to footnote While Māori women and children were at the forefront of the recovery of te ao Māori, they were also targets of state messaging about their ‘proper’ family roles and places in New Zealand society.
Western concepts of child welfare were introduced legislatively in the early 20th century (whāngai restrictions to whenua) and enforced increasingly throughout the century as Māori children began to enter the child juvenile system. Access to pensions and benefits are either denied or paid at a lower rate than for Pākehā.
Iwi Māori continued to fight for hapū autonomy and control over their own welfare. Wāhine Māori, such as Whina Cooper and Te Puea Hērangi, were among Māori leaders pushing for tikanga-based solutions for the welbeing of their people and Māori nationwide.[iii] go to footnote
Chronology events
Displaying 111 - 120 of 270 events.
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Hunn Report published
This report on the Department of Maori Affairs - The Hunn Report, named for its author Jack Hunn - examined the social and economic circumstances of the Māori people. It analysed three specific trends for which Hunn said future policy should account: the …
Date: 1961 Period: 1938-1971 -
Social Welfare Advisory Board
The Social Welfare Advisory Board was established by the Public Services Commission to co-ordinate State welfare activities and to report on the feasibility of establishing a Department of Social Welfare.
Date: 1961 Period: 1938-1971 -
The Māori Education Foundation Act
Set up after the Hunn report, mainly using Department of Education staff, to lift Māori education standards ‘equal to that of the Pākehā’ by encouraging Māori into secondary and tertiary education.[i]
Date: 1961 Period: 1938-1971 -
1955 Adoption Act and its 1962 amendment
Whangai was not a valid practice under these Acts, which ensured the secrecy of parents was upheld in the adoption process. Adoptions passed to the general courts signalling the completion of legal assimilation in this area of tīkanga Māori. The following …
Date: 1962 Period: 1938-1971 -
New Zealand Māori Council formed
The Māori Council was described by Miria Szaszy as an undermining of wāhine Māori leadership and organisation.[i] The Māori Social and Economic Advancement Amendment Act 1961 contained the title ‘New Zealand Māori Council’.[ii] The Act accorded recognitio…
Date: 1962 Period: 1938-1971 -
The Currie Report
Report of the Commission on Education in New Zealand reinforced the State’s provision and control of education. Advocated equality of opportunity, drew attention to the disparity in Māori education and recommended Te Reo as an optional subject at secondary…
Date: 1962 Period: 1938-1971 -
Māori Welfare Amendment Act
Section 2 of Act reinstated the Māori Committees’ authority over wardens, carried out by agreement between the NZMC and the Crown, and at the request of the NZMC.[i]
Date: 1963 Period: 1938-1971 -
‘Washday at the Pa’ published
The publication was distributed and then withdrawn from circulation following complaints from Māori and in particular the MWWL which asserted the booklet was a misrepresentation of Māori family life.[i]
Date: 1964 Period: 1938-1971 -
A Justice Department study into preventing child abuse
The Justice Department began a study of preventative measures aimed at the three categories of child abusers it had identified. Categories: the young and inadequate mother with a large family and little emotional support; the tense and perfectionist type…
Date: 1965 Period: 1938-1971 -
First urban marae
Te Puea, the country's first urban marae, opened in Auckland.
Date: 1965 Period: 1938-1971
Footnotes
- [i] go to main content The New Zealand Official Year Book 1945
- [ii] go to main content Atholl Anderson, Judith Binney, Aroha Harris, Tangata Whenua: An Illustrated History, Bridget Williams Books, Wellington, 2014, p. 491.
- [iii] go to main content Hērangi, Te Kirihaehae Te Puea – Dictionary of New Zealand Biography – Te Ara; Cooper, Whina – Dictionary of New Zealand Biography – Te Ara.