significance of maori resistance
Maori Resistance to Military Service is an event that has great significance to New Zealanders.
The resistance of Maori in WWI was significant to the community at the time because it was the first time they had been actively defiant against the government since the land confiscation in 1860's. The community still remembers the movement, and those who were involved. Te Puea is a key figure remembered, particularly in the Waikato region. For those who resisted, the movement deeply affected their lives simply because they were going against the norm. New Zealand was very patriotic in the early 1900's and was eager to prove themselves to Britain and the rest of the world. This pushed huge social pressure onto those who refused to fight, particularly the pressure from Maori into Maori. For people at the time, this would have been a challenge and would have affected their lives and relationships with other regions of Maori in New Zealand.
This event helps to understand the past because it provides a snapshot of New Zealand society. It indicates the pressure to fight and defend the country on all men with the ability to at the time, and the obsession the country and government had with pushing those who objected to do so. The resilience of those who maintained their strength and stood up for what they believed in, is similar to those who expect similar tribulations in society today. Descendants and other New Zealander's can draw inspiration from the courage the young men have when facing their own moral challenges in our world today. We now have a better understanding of human rights and freedom, and a better understanding of people's beliefs, and there has been no conscription in New Zealand since the Second World War.
There was no change in government policy for Maori conscription during the First World War and it extended until the end in 1918. However during the Second World War, conscription on Maori was not reintroduced. Recruitment was voluntary for Maori throughout the war, and while many tribes still went against the idea of war, they did not stop their young men from 'signing up.' Conscription in the Second World War applied to non-Maori men from 1940 forwards.
New Zealand's public opinion did not change hugely at the time of the issue, however it is a key event that is referred to when Maori discuss the clashes with Pakeha and the government in history.
Public opinion had certainly changed by the 1981 Springbok tour. Many New Zealander's protested against the racism and discrimination their people were facing, and Pakeha and Maori came together for a common cause. The time between WWI and the 1980's was a time of great attitude change in New Zealand; the resistance of Maori in WWI and their reasoning indicated to the country that things were not right between the two cultures.
It is a significant event because it forces us to think about another aspect of the past other than the resistance itself - the 1860's Maori land confiscations, and it is remembered by the next generations in the Maori tribe.
The resistance of Maori in WWI was significant to the community at the time because it was the first time they had been actively defiant against the government since the land confiscation in 1860's. The community still remembers the movement, and those who were involved. Te Puea is a key figure remembered, particularly in the Waikato region. For those who resisted, the movement deeply affected their lives simply because they were going against the norm. New Zealand was very patriotic in the early 1900's and was eager to prove themselves to Britain and the rest of the world. This pushed huge social pressure onto those who refused to fight, particularly the pressure from Maori into Maori. For people at the time, this would have been a challenge and would have affected their lives and relationships with other regions of Maori in New Zealand.
This event helps to understand the past because it provides a snapshot of New Zealand society. It indicates the pressure to fight and defend the country on all men with the ability to at the time, and the obsession the country and government had with pushing those who objected to do so. The resilience of those who maintained their strength and stood up for what they believed in, is similar to those who expect similar tribulations in society today. Descendants and other New Zealander's can draw inspiration from the courage the young men have when facing their own moral challenges in our world today. We now have a better understanding of human rights and freedom, and a better understanding of people's beliefs, and there has been no conscription in New Zealand since the Second World War.
There was no change in government policy for Maori conscription during the First World War and it extended until the end in 1918. However during the Second World War, conscription on Maori was not reintroduced. Recruitment was voluntary for Maori throughout the war, and while many tribes still went against the idea of war, they did not stop their young men from 'signing up.' Conscription in the Second World War applied to non-Maori men from 1940 forwards.
New Zealand's public opinion did not change hugely at the time of the issue, however it is a key event that is referred to when Maori discuss the clashes with Pakeha and the government in history.
Public opinion had certainly changed by the 1981 Springbok tour. Many New Zealander's protested against the racism and discrimination their people were facing, and Pakeha and Maori came together for a common cause. The time between WWI and the 1980's was a time of great attitude change in New Zealand; the resistance of Maori in WWI and their reasoning indicated to the country that things were not right between the two cultures.
It is a significant event because it forces us to think about another aspect of the past other than the resistance itself - the 1860's Maori land confiscations, and it is remembered by the next generations in the Maori tribe.