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Māori Post-WWII History

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Māori Post-WWII History

Read the short account, study the timeline, then answer the questions. Use evidence from the account and your own reasoning. For written answers, bullet points are fine.

A changing Aotearoa

After the Second World War, many Māori moved from rural communities to towns and cities for paid work, housing and education. This large movement gathered pace from the 1940s to the 1970s. Urban life brought new opportunities, but distance from whānau, whenua and te reo Māori-speaking communities could make cultural connections harder to maintain. Māori communities also formed urban marae and other organisations to support connection and identity. From the 1970s, Māori-led action helped bring language and Treaty issues into public discussion. In 1975, the Māori Land March travelled from Te Hāpua to Parliament, and the Waitangi Tribunal was established. The Māori Language Act 1987 made te reo Māori an official language and recognised it as a taonga. Treaty settlements, including the Ngāi Tahu settlement in 1998, have acknowledged some historical grievances and provided compensation, though settlements cannot undo all losses.

A timeline of key events

Use the dates marked on the timeline to answer Questions 1 and 2.

1.The Māori Land March and the establishment of the Waitangi Tribunal both took place in 1975. Which event on the timeline came next?

The Māori Language Act
The Ngāi Tahu settlement
The end of the Second World War
The beginning of urban migration

2.Put these events in order from earliest to latest: Ngāi Tahu settlement; Māori Land March; Māori Language Act.

3.Which time period best describes the decades when Māori urban migration gathered pace?

The 1910s to 1930s
The 1940s to 1970s
The 1980s to 2000s
Only the years after 1998

4.Name one opportunity and one challenge that the move to towns and cities could bring for Māori whānau.

5.Choose the best explanation of why urban marae and Māori organisations mattered as communities changed.

They helped people maintain connection, identity and community in towns and cities.
They stopped all Māori from moving to cities.
They replaced te reo Māori with English.
They meant that all historical grievances were settled.

6.True or false: The Māori Language Act 1987 made te reo Māori an official language of New Zealand.

TrueFalse

7.In your own words, describe one way the 1975 Māori Land March could bring Māori concerns about land to wider public attention.

8.What was one important change made by the Māori Language Act 1987?

9.Treaty settlements can acknowledge historical grievances and provide compensation. Explain why a settlement cannot necessarily undo every loss caused by past actions.