Young Maori Party
Encyclopedia
The Young Māori Party was a New Zealand
organisation dedicated to improving the position of Māori. It grew out of the Te Aute Students Association, established by former students of Te Aute College
in 1897. It was established as the Young Māori Party in 1909.
While the Young Māori Party had political intentions, it did not function as a political party as they are generally understood. The Young Māori Party's members either acted as independents or joined an existing party, such as the New Zealand Liberal Party
. In most respects, the Young Māori Party is best understood as a club or association, not a united electoral bloc.
. Prominent members included James Carroll
, Paraire Tomoana
, Apirana Ngata
, Te Rangi Hīroa, and Maui Pomare
. The most important concern of the group was the improvement of Māori health and welfare.
Most members of the Party believed that in order to prosper, Māori needed to adopt European ways of life, particularly Western medicine and education. At times, especially earlier in their careers, they offended older and more traditional Māori by attempting to abolish traditional practices. Later they developed more sensitivity and tended to present Western ways as similar to pre-European traditions. Ngata in particular also realised that Māori culture was in danger of being corrupted or swamped by European culture, and encouraged the revival of many Māori arts and crafts, such as kapa haka
and carving. He also recorded many waiata
and other forms of Māori literature, ensuring its preservation.
candidate Tiaki Omana
.
, who saw their programmes as advancing the Maori race, and by contemporary Māori, who benefitted from their initiatives and admired their ability to work within Pakeha systems. From the 1970s, however, a new generation of activist Māori began to see the Young Māori Party as 'sell outs' who had swallowed the myth of European cultural superiority. They believed that the Party was mistaken in believing that if Māori adopted European ways, they would be treated as equals. Recently this perception has been revised by historians such as Ranginui Walker
and James Belich
, who emphasise the achievements of the Party, especially Ngata, and stress that their strategy of co-operation was effective in the context of its time.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
organisation dedicated to improving the position of Māori. It grew out of the Te Aute Students Association, established by former students of Te Aute College
Te Aute College
Te Aute College is a school in the Hawke's Bay region of New Zealand. It opened in 1854 with twelve pupils under Samuel Williams, an Anglican missionary, and nephew and son-in-law of Bishop William Williams. It has a strong Māori character.It was built on land provided by Te Whatuiapiti, a hapu...
in 1897. It was established as the Young Māori Party in 1909.
While the Young Māori Party had political intentions, it did not function as a political party as they are generally understood. The Young Māori Party's members either acted as independents or joined an existing party, such as the New Zealand Liberal Party
New Zealand Liberal Party
The New Zealand Liberal Party is generally regarded as having been the first real political party in New Zealand. It governed from 1891 until 1912. Out of office, the Liberals gradually found themselves pressed between the conservative Reform Party and the growing Labour Party...
. In most respects, the Young Māori Party is best understood as a club or association, not a united electoral bloc.
Membership
The membership of the Young Māori Party consisted primarily of younger Māori who had received a European-style education. Many were from the East Coast or the Bay of PlentyBay of Plenty
The Bay of Plenty , often abbreviated to BOP, is a region in the North Island of New Zealand situated around the body of water of the same name...
. Prominent members included James Carroll
James Carroll (New Zealand politician)
Sir James Carroll, KCMG , known to Māori as Timi Kara, was a New Zealand politician of Irish and Ngati Kahungunu descent. Beginning his career as an interpreter and land agent, Carroll was elected to the Eastern Maori seat in 1887. He was Colonial Secretary from 1895...
, Paraire Tomoana
Paraire Tomoana
Paraire Henare Tomoana , known as Friday, was a prominent Māori leader in the Hawke's Bay Region. He was born in Waipatu or Pakowhai, the son of Henare Tomoana...
, Apirana Ngata
Apirana Ngata
Sir Apirana Turupa Ngata was a prominent New Zealand politician and lawyer. He has often been described as the foremost Māori politician to have ever served in Parliament, and is also known for his work in promoting and protecting Māori culture and language.-Early life:One of 15 children, Ngata...
, Te Rangi Hīroa, and Maui Pomare
Maui Pomare
Sir Maui Wiremu Pita Naera Pomare, KBE, CMG was a New Zealand doctor and politician, being counted among the more prominent Māori political figures...
. The most important concern of the group was the improvement of Māori health and welfare.
Most members of the Party believed that in order to prosper, Māori needed to adopt European ways of life, particularly Western medicine and education. At times, especially earlier in their careers, they offended older and more traditional Māori by attempting to abolish traditional practices. Later they developed more sensitivity and tended to present Western ways as similar to pre-European traditions. Ngata in particular also realised that Māori culture was in danger of being corrupted or swamped by European culture, and encouraged the revival of many Māori arts and crafts, such as kapa haka
Kapa haka
The term Kapa haka is commonly known in Aotearoa as 'Maori Performing Arts' or the 'cultural dance' of Maori people...
and carving. He also recorded many waiata
Waiata
Waiata is the sixth studio album by New Zealand New Wave band Split Enz, released in 1981. Its Australian release was titled Corroboree. Waiata is the Māori term for song and singing, while corroboree is the Aboriginal term. According to Noel Crombie the intention was to name the album using a word...
and other forms of Māori literature, ensuring its preservation.
Loss of members
As it was a group of like-minded politicians rather than a true party, the Young Māori Party did not survive the retirement, defeat and deaths of its members. Hiroa left parliament in 1914, and by 1930 Carroll and Pomare had both died. Ngata remained in parliament until 1943, when he was defeated by Labour-RatanaRatana
The Rātana movement is a Māori religion and pan-tribal political movement founded by Tahupōtiki Wiremu Rātana in early 20th century New Zealand...
candidate Tiaki Omana
Tiaki Omana
Tiaki Omana , whose Christian name is John Ormond best known as Jack is a former New Zealand politician who captured the Rātana Movement's fourth Maori seat of Eastern Maori in 1943 from Apirana Ngata who had held it since 1905...
.
New Māori
The Party was widely admired by PakehaPakeha
Pākehā is a Māori language word for New Zealanders who are "of European descent". They are mostly descended from British and to a lesser extent Irish settlers of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, although some Pākehā have Dutch, Scandinavian, German, Yugoslav or other ancestry...
, who saw their programmes as advancing the Maori race, and by contemporary Māori, who benefitted from their initiatives and admired their ability to work within Pakeha systems. From the 1970s, however, a new generation of activist Māori began to see the Young Māori Party as 'sell outs' who had swallowed the myth of European cultural superiority. They believed that the Party was mistaken in believing that if Māori adopted European ways, they would be treated as equals. Recently this perception has been revised by historians such as Ranginui Walker
Ranginui Walker
Ranginui Joseph Isaac Walker, DCNZM is a Māori academic and writer living in New Zealand. He was educated at St Peter's Maori College, Auckland, Auckland Teachers' Training College and Auckland University. Walker is a member of the Whakatōhea tribe of Opotiki in the Bay of Plenty. Walker was a...
and James Belich
James Belich (historian)
James Christopher Belich, ONZM is a New Zealand revisionist historian, known for his work on the New Zealand Wars.Of Croatian descent, he was born in Wellington in 1956, the son of Sir James Belich, who later became Mayor of Wellington. He attended Onslow College.He gained an M.A...
, who emphasise the achievements of the Party, especially Ngata, and stress that their strategy of co-operation was effective in the context of its time.