The consequences of the News Zealand Wars were complex and, for Māori, long-lasting. This section reviews some of the most important consequences for Māori, arising from the wars.
The End of the Wars By 1872, the wars against Māori were over. The last shots were fired by the Armed Constabulary at Mangaone, south of Waikaremoana, on 14 February 1872. Thereafter, Te Kooti Rikiranga and his few remaining followers crossed over into the King...
Māori Land After the Wars As Māori throughout New Zealand returned to their villages and cultivations in order to once again secure themselves socially and, more critically, economically, the government embarked upon its vigorous legislative programme to change the...
The Māori Population When Pākehā first arrived in New Zealand, the Māori population by some estimates stood at about 90,000 people, spread all over Aotearoa though most lived near the coast. By the time the war at Waitara began in 1860, the Māori population had fallen...
The Māori Franchise In 1867, Māori were finally awarded the vote, 27 years after the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840. It had taken that long for the Crown to grant Māori the right to participate in New Zealand's political process. By the Māori...
The Pre-Contact Māori Economy Prior to Pākehā arriving in New Zealand, the Māori economy was based upon local cultivations, forests and the sea. Māori acquired generations of experience in growing, gathering and hunting for food. Māori were also able to store crops...
The Waitangi Tribunal In 1975, the New Zealand government established the Waitangi Tribunal. The purpose of the Tribunal was to provide a legal forum before which Maori could appear, and argue for compensation arising from historic wrongs committed by the Crown. The...
On 9 June 2017, the Parihaka community met with Crown officials to receive a reconciliation apology, and $9m restitution for past Crown actions. Looking back over the history of Parihaka since the invasion of 1881, this was a truly momentous occasion, as many have...