October 18, 2023 | Author: Jubliee Chan | Editor: Ruonan Zhao
The Treaty of Waitangi, signed in 1840 between British Crown representatives and more than 40 Māori chiefs, is often discerned as a foundational document in New Zealand's history of partnership between indigenous people and colonizers. This treaty was perceived as a symbol of hope and peace, a union between two peoples to build and develop a new nation—one of harmony, strength, and stability. However, as opposed to people’s hopes, this treaty initiated the undoing legacy of financial and physical oppression, casting adversities that continue to affect the Māori people.
Painting of the treaty signing by Marcus King, 1938 (Alexander Turnbull Library, G-821-2)
Financial Oppression
1. Land Dispossession: The Treaty of Waitangi allowed only the British Crown to purchase land from Māori tribes, leading to a systematic dispossession of Māori lands. When European colonizers introduced the arms trade, conflict increased among tribes and pressured them to buy weapons to protect themselves. In desperation, many Māori were forced to sell their most valuable asset—their land.
2. Inequitable Land Transactions: The government purchased Māori land at deeply inequitable prices and then resold it to European settlers at disproportionate markups, often as much as seventeen times the original price. This exploitation of Māori land raised tensions between Māori and settlers, resulting in conflicts from the 1840s to the 1860s, some with devastating losses.
Attack on Tītokowaru's village, Te Ngutu-o-te-manu (The Encyclopedia of New Zealand)
3. Drastic Land Loss: The cumulative impact of these land transactions reduced Māori land ownership to a mere 17% of their pre-colonization holdings. Due to the loss of land and other contributors such as consistent social disorganization, infectious diseases, and the usage of firearms, the Māori population substantially decreased to the extent that settlers outnumbered them. Evidently, the loss of land had a devastating impact on Māori wealth and well-being.
4. Ongoing Socioeconomic Disparities: Throughout generations, the consequences of unjust taxation and land dispossession persisted and as of today, the past continues to torment those of Māori lineage. Māori communities continue to suffer from higher rates of residence deprivation, unemployment, poor income, and the challenges of inhabiting socially deprived neighbourhoods compared to non-Māori.
Physical Oppression
1. Healthcare Disparities: Due to financial constraints, Māori individuals in New Zealand are twice as likely to experience limited access to healthcare. This disparity in medical care availability resulted in dire repercussions for their overall health and well-being, compounding existing challenges.
2. Shortened Lifespans: Research indicates that Māori lives are shorter on average than those of non-Māori New Zealanders. Māori women, in particular, face a life span difference of up to 5 years compared to their non-Māori counterparts, while Māori men have an average difference of around 7 years.
3. Poor Diet and Health: As a result of their lower socioeconomic standing, Māori often find themselves forced to rely on cheap, processed foods high in saturated fats, salts, and sugars. By consuming such a diet, a person’s chances of obesity increase, which elevates the likelihood of developing conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.
The Treaty of Waitangi, conceived initially as a partnership between the Māori and the British Crown, instead morphed into an instrument of financial and physical oppression. The enduring consequences of land dispossession, inequitable land transactions, and healthcare disparities continue to oppress the lives of the Māori people, persisting into the present.
In order to pave a brighter future for the Māori, addressing these historical injustices and ongoing disparities is essential for New Zealand to strive toward a fair, just, and equal society. Recognizing and reconciling the financial and physical oppression faced by the Māori people is not only a matter of correcting past injustices but also a step toward a healthier, inclusive, and morally upright future for the Māori people of New Zealand.
References
Jones, R. (2019, May 7). By Royal Decree: The physical and financial oppression of the Maori people. Discuss.leeds.ac.uk. https://discuss.leeds.ac.uk/2019/05/07/by-royal-decree-the-physical-and-financial-oppression-of-the-maori-people/
Keenan, D. (2012, June 20). New Zealand Wars. The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. https://teara.govt.nz/en/new-zealand-wars#:~:text=In%20the%201840s%20and%201860s,left%20a%20legacy%20of%20grievance.
Ministry for Culture and Heritage. (2020, October 6). Treaty of Waitangi signed . Nzhistory.govt.nz. https://nzhistory.govt.nz/the-treaty-of-waitangi-is-signed
Comentarios