Native Land Court

In 1841 a few tiny islands of Pākehā settlement existed in an ocean of Māori land. Today, that picture has reversed & Māori own a fraction of Aotearoa. A big part of the reason? The Native Land Court.

Large chunks of land changed hands through the Native Land Court; or as it was also known: Te Kooti Tango Whenua - The Land Taking Court. Created by the 1862 Native Lands Act, the court was meant to establish individual land ownership under the new British colonial government. In practice it began a process of land alienation for Maori that continued until the 1990s.

Watch the video version of the episode here

In this episode we discuss:

The right of preemption and the large crown land purchases in the 1840s and 50s.How these purchases contributed to increasing Māori opposition to land sales.How Māori opposition to land sales contributed to the New Zealand Wars.The different ways Māori and Pākehā thought about land.How and why the court was first established. The racist attitudes of some judges and officials.The impact of the "1840 rule" and the "10-owners rule", including the sale of the Heretaunga block.How debt was used to ensnare Māori in the court. The negative impacts of attending court on Māori.How Māori attempted to reform or remove the court in the 19th century, including the efforts of the Kotahitanga movement. The efforts of Māori MPs to slow down the loss of Māori land in the early 20th Century. The 1965 Māori Affairs Amendment Act and how it acted as a catalyst for protest movements.How those movements achieved reforms, including Te Ture Whenua Māori Act.The ongoing impacts of the Native Land Court and attempts to address injustices. For more on this subject:

Te Kooti Tango Whenua by David WilliamsIllustrated History of New Zealand by Judith BinneyKa Whawhai Tonu Matou: Struggle Without End by Ranginui WalkerConquest by Contract: Wealth Transfer and Land Market Structure in Colonial New Zealand by Stuart Banner, Law & Society Review Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details