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From a ‘dying race’ to global innovators: Māori population in the 21st century

Dr Tahu Kukutai

National Institute of Demographic and Economic Analysis

The University of Waikato

PANZ Conference, Wellington, 27 June 2013

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• Māori population + policy = population pathology

• Resilience and adaptation downplayed

• Opportunity to indigenize population research from the bottom up and top down

• Value proposition for demography as a discipline; for Māori and for NZ

In a nutshell

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POPULATION PATHOLOGY

Part I: Maori Population & Policy

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The ‘dying race’

• Popular narratives -

“smooth the dying pillow”

• ‘Scientific’ accounts – Fenton’s 1857/58 census

• Solution: fixity of residence & adoption of European mores

Charles Goldie: ‘Memories: the last of her tribe”

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• new narrative of decline: absorption

• tracking ‘half caste’ growth

• doubts over whether “the race can survive the gradual infiltration of European strains” (1926 census)

• surveys of miscegenation, focusing on children of Maori origin (1951- 1961)

• fractional identities persisted through to 1981

The whitening of Maori

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Making Māori productive

Integration

• Integrating Maori into post-war economy

• policies to encourage urbanward movement

• self-reliance & modernity

• stereotypes & dysfunction

• 1961 Hunn Report & sliding scale of entitlement

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• achieving statistical equalities with non-Maori

+ explicit recognition that inequality exists

+ solution driven; policy relevant

- non-Māori outcomes as the desired state

- focus on changing individual behaviours; history & structural mechanisms ignored

Lessening the burden

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Why does any of this matter?

• ‘Evidence’ seen to represents ‘reality’ and informs actions for desired outcomes

• History & legacy of colonialism ignored

• Māori as a problem to be solved rather than as part of the solution

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RESILIENCE &

ADAPTATION

Part II : Maori Demographic Shifts

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Pe

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Census Years

Māoripopulation

Māori as aproportionof totalpopulation

Demographic recovery

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MāoriFemales

The 2nd DT - fertility

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The 2nd Māori migration

2nd Māori migration

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Ethnic intermarriage 2006

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INNOVATION

Part III: New approaches

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Measuring Māori wellbeing in Auckland

• Project lead by the Independent Māori Statutory Board

• Measure & monitor the wellbeing of Māori in Auckland

– What constitutes wellbeing? Who decides?

– How do we measure it? Should we measure it? What kinds of indicators?

– What will the data sources be?

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A Māori values-based approach

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Voices from the people

Rangatiratanga: Leadership & Participation

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Indigenising official statistics

5 key principles :

Framing

Relevance

Inclusiveness

Building capability

Self-determination

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THE VALUE PROPOSITION

Part IV: Opportunities

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• Opportunity to try new approaches

• Lessons to take to the world

• NZ’s unique cultural demography – much promise for theorising and evidence-based research

For demography

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Opportunities Risks

+ Maori/Iwi economy - Segmentation

+ Leverage diaspora - Lose connections

+ Foster migrant ties - New hierarchies

For Māori

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• Rise of the Maori Economy – the ‘Maori edge’ (NZIER & TPK) & value from indigenous distinctiveness in a global market

• Collateral Maori Demographic Dividend – Jackson

• Regional champions – in it for the long-haul

For New Zealand