In the second half of the nineteenth century, settlers poured into Aotearoa
demanding land. Millions of acres were acquired by the government or directly by
settlers; or confiscated after the Land Wars.
By 1891, when the Liberal government came to power, Maori retained only a
fraction of their lands. And still the losses continued. For rangatira such as James
Carroll, Wiremu Pere, Paora Tuhaere, Te Keepa Te Rangihiwinui, and many others,
the challenges were innumerable. To stop further land loss, some rangatira saw
parliamentary process as the mechanism; others pursued political independence.
For over two decades, Maori men and women of outstanding ability fought hard to
protect their people and their land. How those rangatira fared, and how they should
be remembered, is the story of Maori political struggle during the Liberal era.
demanding land. Millions of acres were acquired by the government or directly by
settlers; or confiscated after the Land Wars.
By 1891, when the Liberal government came to power, Maori retained only a
fraction of their lands. And still the losses continued. For rangatira such as James
Carroll, Wiremu Pere, Paora Tuhaere, Te Keepa Te Rangihiwinui, and many others,
the challenges were innumerable. To stop further land loss, some rangatira saw
parliamentary process as the mechanism; others pursued political independence.
For over two decades, Maori men and women of outstanding ability fought hard to
protect their people and their land. How those rangatira fared, and how they should
be remembered, is the story of Maori political struggle during the Liberal era.
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