This thesis is a study of Waitaha, a Bay of Plenty iwi that has been marginalized through the loss of most of its land, much of its language, tikanga, and mana. The purpose of the work is to communicate, through the 'voice' and the history of the people, a chronicle, of their alienation to a Pākehā audience that remains in large part ignorant and distant from their plight. The thesis is motivated by an academic responsibility to the Treaty of Waitangi and the lack of understanding to the present needs of Māori as evidenced for example, by the support for the January 2004 Orewa speech, by the leader of the National Party, Don Brash. It is predicated upon the understanding that this response, which minimalises the impact of colonization upon Māori, is constructed by many, through a convenience of distance. It is motivated also on the understanding that most Pākehā who now inhabit the rohe of Waitaha, are completely ignorant of the identity of tangata whenua. It is hoped that the presentation of the Waitaha story, will provoke a greater empathy from Pākehā, and thereby facilitate an environment, whereby grievances can be addressed in an environment of greater understanding. The thesis is a qualitative based research exercise, carried out in consultation with kaumātua and other Waitaha members, and attempts to acknowledge and integrate current kaupapa Māori epistemologies with traditional Western academic methodology. The study uses interviews, Waitangi Tribunal evidence, and other historical references to construct a narrative that conveys something of the 'voice' of Waitaha. Specifically, it outlines a chronology of Waitaha settlement, followed by a description of their encounter with Pākehā, the consequent alienation of the majority of their lands by the Crown, and concludes, with a glimpse into the current circumstance of Manoeka, the papakainga of Waitaha.

The political and economic history of New Zealand since the turn of the nineteenth century has been characterised by the colonisation of the indigenous Maori people by settlers mainly from Britain. In 1840 the British Crown and representative Maori Rangatira signed the Maori language version of the Treaty of Waitangi, which guaranteed to Maori continuing ownership of their land and natural resources, and self determination under the protection of the Crown, What Maori did not know in signing the Treaty was that already thousands of new settlers were being recruited in Britain on the promise of a paradise, where vacant land could be purchased cheaply and every man was the equal of his master. While the Maori population was in decline following the introduction of disease and the musket, the immigrant European population exploded. It established a Westminster styled Government which in its early years included no Maori, and passed laws which over the next 50 years alienated Maori from 95% of their land, prevented Maori from accumulating capital and participating in the most rewarding industries, and imposed alien social institutions on a previously well organised and successful people. For many Maori in the twenty-first century, the legacy of colonisation has been either marginalisation in rural communities on land frozen by legal structures which run counter to traditional values and procedures, or migration to towns and cities where employment opportunities are mainly in less skilled work and subject to variation in the economy. This thesis examines the extent of the displacement of the institutions of Maori society and its impact on the development of Maori land and other assets. It proposes an approach which could assist shareholders in Maori land to reassert traditional values and tikanga and promote collective decision making, while gaining understanding of the concepts and language of business and organisations and a skill base for greater participation in the organisations which own and manage their assets. The research results are promising, with participants in a research project accepting an approach to governance and organisation which bridges tikanga and modem business structures. There is evidence from an extended case study that the approach engenders a confidence which has positive social and cultural outcomes while encouraging the development of Maori land

'Closed stranger' adoption in Aotearoa / New Zealand from approximately 1940 to 1990 involved the practice of a complete break between the birth mother and her child and the legal transfer of the child to adoptive parents. In Aotearoa / New Zealand between 1940 and 1990, 108,899 adoptions took place, and most consisted of ‘closed stranger’ adoptions. These adoptions have caused much joy as well as some heartache for parties involved in the experience namely, birth mothers, adoptees and adoptive mothers and their whānau. This thesis reports original research which aims to investigate the unique experiences of Māori adoptive mothers in the 'closed stranger' adoption period and enable the impact of legal adoption on these Māori women who have not previously warranted research, to be valued. A qualitative methodology, Māori-centred research and unstructured kanohi ki te kanohi (face to face) interviews were utilized to gather data from six Māori adoptive mothers. The intention of Māori centred research as its name suggests, is to locate Māori people and Māori knowledge at the centre of the research action. A thematic analysis utilizing interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was used. The unique experiences of Māori women legally adopting in the ‘closed stranger’ adoption system were about whānau business, and grouped under that superordinate theme were experiences of ‘not blood’, land succession, naming and caring for whānau. The stigma of adoption resonated throughout the women’s narratives. As well, most of these Māori adoptive mothers found that they experienced ‘closed stranger’ adoption as a ‘rollercoaster of emotions’.

The political and economic history of New Zealand since the turn of the nineteenth century has been characterised by the colonisation of the indigenous Maori people by settlers mainly from Britain. In 1840 the British Crown and representative Maori Rangatira signed the Maori language version of the Treaty of Waitangi, which guaranteed to Maori continuing ownership of their land and natural resources, and self determination under the protection of the Crown, What Maori did not know in signing the Treaty was that already thousands of new settlers were being recruited in Britain on the promise of a paradise, where vacant land could be purchased cheaply and every man was the equal of his master. While the Maori population was in decline following the introduction of disease and the musket, the immigrant European population exploded. It established a Westminster styled Government which in its early years included no Maori, and passed laws which over the next 50 years alienated Maori from 95% of their land, prevented Maori from accumulating capital and participating in the most rewarding industries, and imposed alien social institutions on a previously well organised and successful people. For many Maori in the twenty-first century, the legacy of colonisation has been either marginalisation in rural communities on land frozen by legal structures which run counter to traditional values and procedures, or migration to towns and cities where employment opportunities are mainly in less skilled work and subject to variation in the economy. This thesis examines the extent of the displacement of the institutions of Maori society and its impact on the development of Maori land and other assets. It proposes an approach which could assist shareholders in Maori land to reassert traditional values and tikanga and promote collective decision making, while gaining understanding of the concepts and language of business and organisations and a skill base for greater participation in the organisations which own and manage their assets. The research results are promising, with participants in a research project accepting an approach to governance and organisation which bridges tikanga and modem business structures. There is evidence from an extended case study that the approach engenders a confidence which has positive social and cultural outcomes while encouraging the development of Maori land

The political and economic history of New Zealand since the turn of the nineteenth century has been characterised by the colonisation of the indigenous Maori people by settlers mainly from Britain. In 1840 the British Crown and representative Maori Rangatira signed the Maori language version of the Treaty of Waitangi, which guaranteed to Maori continuing ownership of their land and natural resources, and self determination under the protection of the Crown, What Maori did not know in signing the Treaty was that already thousands of new settlers were being recruited in Britain on the promise of a paradise, where vacant land could be purchased cheaply and every man was the equal of his master. While the Maori population was in decline following the introduction of disease and the musket, the immigrant European population exploded. It established a Westminster styled Government which in its early years included no Maori, and passed laws which over the next 50 years alienated Maori from 95% of their land, prevented Maori from accumulating capital and participating in the most rewarding industries, and imposed alien social institutions on a previously well organised and successful people. For many Maori in the twenty-first century, the legacy of colonisation has been either marginalisation in rural communities on land frozen by legal structures which run counter to traditional values and procedures, or migration to towns and cities where employment opportunities are mainly in less skilled work and subject to variation in the economy. This thesis examines the extent of the displacement of the institutions of Maori society and its impact on the development of Maori land and other assets. It proposes an approach which could assist shareholders in Maori land to reassert traditional values and tikanga and promote collective decision making, while gaining understanding of the concepts and language of business and organisations and a skill base for greater participation in the organisations which own and manage their assets. The research results are promising, with participants in a research project accepting an approach to governance and organisation which bridges tikanga and modem business structures. There is evidence from an extended case study that the approach engenders a confidence which has positive social and cultural outcomes while encouraging the development of Maori land