An investigation into the effects of colonisation on modern day New Zealand

By Emily You - New Zealand and China 

Introduction to effects of colonisation

There is no doubt that colonisation - a normalised atrocity committed by several European nations in the past - has had long lasting, detrimental impacts on society today. Hence, through focusing on a specific community, the Māori population of New Zealand, this article will analyse how indigenous populations have been greatly disadvantaged both socially and economically as a result of the process. 

The Treaty of Waitangi  (6 February 1840)

Having grown up in New Zealand, the commemoration of Waitangi Day has been deeply rooted in tradition. Yet, after learning about the truth behind its meaning, I began to wonder if it should be a celebration at all. To the British, it may have been the day they gained an extra piece of overseas territory, but to the Māori people, it was the day they were deceived into giving up their land, their homes and forced to assimilate into a western world. To simply put it, the translation errors when exchanging contracts- which can be said was purposeful at the advantage of the British - led to the erosion of autonomy that the indigenous population of Aoteroa had previously possessed and had not agreed on losing ("Read the Treaty"). 

Outside perceptions of New Zealand 

When we think of New Zealand today, we think of a predominantly white country with English as its natural first language. This misconception stems from the limited media representation of the indigenous Māori population and focus on the Pakeha, white population, in tourism imagery. That, which has inevitably led to the impression that the country is homogenous when in reality, New Zealand is a culturally diverse society. 

Sadly, this media representation and outside view of the country stems from the intended repression of the original population, their culture and their language.  For example, during the period of European colonisation - 1840s - in New Zealand, there was a deliberate effort to suppress the Māori language, where European settlers introduced their own educational systems, which often discouraged or outright forbade the use of Māori in schools. This suppression contributed to a decline in intergenerational transmission of the language. According to the 2006 New Zealand census, only 131,613 (23.7 per cent) of Māori’s could hold a conversation about everyday things in te reo - the Māori language - and that number has continued to decline ("Māori Language Speakers").

Injustices regarding health 

The Māori community eventually became a racial minority with significant disparities that still exist today along with their fight to address these historical injustices. White hegemony in New Zealand is still sustained by the racial discourse that has developed since the arrival of the Pakeha and today, it is visible in the areas of work, education, health, crime, and class. Despite the colonisation having occurred almost 200 years ago, its effects are readily apparent in society today: the event was essentially a catalyst to the injustices that Māoris face everyday in New Zealand. According to a recent WAI-2575 assessment on the health of ethnic populations in New Zealand, it was found that ‘Māori people have higher rates of diabetes, asthma, chronic pulmonary illness, cancer, and rheumatic heart disease than non-Māori people’ (Gurney et al.). Even amidst the recent COVID-19 crisis, the Guardian found that ‘the risk of dying from COVID-19 is at least 50% higher for Māori than New Zealanders from European backgrounds ("Why Maori Are 50% More Likely to Die from Covid-19 than White New Zealanders"). This is emblematic of the social determinants of health that have been created and perpetuated through time, leading to a system of institutionalised racism. 

Socioeconomic disparities 

Research indicates that the startling disparities in health between European and Māori New Zealanders occur at an earlier age and stem from the Māori population's lower socioeconomic standing in the country. Through my experience interning with an MP in New Zealand, I was able to visit a primary school in the neighbourhood of Avondale, which was predominantly attended by Māori and Pacifican students. It was also a school filled with children who lived lives at or below the poverty line and relied on free school meals to sustain themselves. This clear link between the Māori population and poverty cannot simply be discarded and cannot be stated as coincidental. On average, the Māori population experience higher levels of socioeconomic deprivation including lower income levels, reduced access to quality education, limited employment opportunities and inadequate housing which contributes to a cycle of poverty and economic disadvantage. The discrimination and bias - whether explicit or implicit- can affect hiring practices, workplace advancement, access to healthcare and further economic opportunities. Hence, it is only right to end this cycle of injustice and poverty that Māoris currently suffer from. 

Conclusion: required government action 

The New Zealand government must review and reform policies that may disproportionately affect the Māori community. This can be done by including more Māori MPs in parliament so that they are more accurately represented ("Parliament's People"). Furthermore, the increase in representation can be done through positive media portrayal in order to challenge current stereotypes and reduce negative perceptions. Most importantly, however, the New Zealand government must increase funding for Māori/ Pacifican schools, households as well as invest into the teaching of the Māori language so that the native language of New Zealand can grow and flourish rather than become extinct. It would be severely damaging to the country and its citizens if New Zealand were to lose its Māori identity- one that it has been deeply intertwined with throughout history. 

This analysis of the effects of colonisation on the Māori population in New Zealand mirrors the plethora of societies across the world that have suffered and are still undergoing the suffering of injustices as a result of this process. It is important to understand and to note these disparities when focusing on nations which have endured colonisation and to hold the western colonisers accountable for the actions that they are guilty of. 

Bibliography 

"Read the Treaty." NZ History, 5 Nov. 2021, nzhistory.govt.nz/politics/treaty/read-the-Treaty/differences-between-the-texts#:~:text=In%20the%20English%20text%2C%20M%C4%81ori,no%20direct%20translation%20in%20M%C4%81ori. Accessed 17 Nov. 2023.

"Māori Language Speakers." Social Report, socialreport.msd.govt.nz/2007/cultural-identity/maori-language-speakers.html#:~:text=Almost%20one%2Dquarter%20of%20all,2006%2C%2084%20percent%20were%20M%C4%81ori. Accessed 17 Nov. 2023.

Gurney, Jason, et al. "The Inequity of Morbidity: Disparities in the Prevalence of Morbidity between Ethnic Groups in New Zealand." National Library of Medicine, 10 Oct. 2020, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7658519/. Accessed 17 Nov. 2023.

"Why Maori Are 50% More Likely to Die from Covid-19 than White New Zealanders." The Guardian, 4 Sept. 2020, www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/sep/04/why-maori-are-50-more-likely-to-die-from-covid-19-than-white-new-zealanders. Accessed 17 Nov. 2023.

"Parliament's People." NZ History, 1 May 2020, nzhistory.govt.nz/politics/parliaments-people/maori-mps. Accessed 17 Nov. 2023.