Direct causes of the 1975 Hikoi
An underlying cause of the 1975 Maori land march was the continual loss of Maori land. Maori ownership of land was decreasing, as from 1900 to the mid-1950s an average of 44,000 hectares of Maori land per year was shifting out of Maori ownership. The government was able to confiscate Maori land due to legislation passed including the 1967 Maori Affairs Amendment Act and the 1972 Public Works Act. Many Maori, significantly Whina Cooper, became aggrieved by the increasing loss of Maori land to the government for what seemed like unforeseen reasons.
Therefore, the 1975 hikoi was launched in order to highlight this Maori land grievances, in aiming to have Maori land returned to the Maori owners.
Image 18 (right): These maps of the North Island illustrate the loss of Maori land from 1860 to 1939. Maori still owned most of the land in 1860, however, the introduction of legislation and the impact of the Native Land Court in the
1860s enabled a majority of Maori land to be confiscated.
An immediate cause of the 1975 Maori hikoi was the introduction of the 1967 Maori Affairs Amendment Act. The 1967 Maori Affairs Amendment Act became known as the ‘last land grab’ by the government to Maori. This piece of legislation passed by the government as described on the previous ‘Causes’ page was the last straw for Maori, who had their land confiscated and alienated by this act. Maori needed to publicise this injustice and did so by conducting one of the most famous and significant protests in New Zealand, which was the 1975 land march.
An underlying cause of the 1975 Maori land march was the continual loss of Maori land. Maori ownership of land was decreasing, as from 1900 to the mid-1950s an average of 44,000 hectares of Maori land per year was shifting out of Maori ownership. The government was able to confiscate Maori land due to legislation passed including the 1967 Maori Affairs Amendment Act and the 1972 Public Works Act. Many Maori, significantly Whina Cooper, became aggrieved by the increasing loss of Maori land to the government for what seemed like unforeseen reasons.
Therefore, the 1975 hikoi was launched in order to highlight this Maori land grievances, in aiming to have Maori land returned to the Maori owners.
Image 18 (right): These maps of the North Island illustrate the loss of Maori land from 1860 to 1939. Maori still owned most of the land in 1860, however, the introduction of legislation and the impact of the Native Land Court in the
1860s enabled a majority of Maori land to be confiscated.
An immediate cause of the 1975 Maori hikoi was the introduction of the 1967 Maori Affairs Amendment Act. The 1967 Maori Affairs Amendment Act became known as the ‘last land grab’ by the government to Maori. This piece of legislation passed by the government as described on the previous ‘Causes’ page was the last straw for Maori, who had their land confiscated and alienated by this act. Maori needed to publicise this injustice and did so by conducting one of the most famous and significant protests in New Zealand, which was the 1975 land march.