Tradition and Modernity in Maori Protests

Abstract

This study of three specific cases of Maori protest -the Land March in 1975, the occupation of Bastion Point in 1977-1978, and the occupation of Moutoa Gardens in 1995- shows the evolution of Maori activism and the importance of tradition and modernity in Maori protests. The first chapter explains the origins of the revival in Maori protests in the 1970s, with reference to the political, social and economic background at the time. The following chapters focus on the Maori Land March, the occupation of Bastion Point and the occupation of Moutoa Gardens, with a study of the traditional and modern aspects of each case, and the achievements of each protest. The last chapter studies the treatment by the media of each protest and its evolution, as well as some comparison with the protests of indigenous peoples in Australia and Canada, before concluding with the involvement of Maori in the international arena and the emergence of new types of claims.