Apirana Ngata

Apira Ngata 1905

Sir Āpirana Turupa Ngata (born July 3, 1874 in Te Araroa , † July 14, 1950 in Waiomatatini ) was a well-known New Zealand politician . He has often been described as the most outstanding Māori politician to ever serve in the New Zealand Parliament . He is also known for his efforts to promote and protect the Māori culture and language .

Early life

Ngata was born in Te Araroa (then Kawakawa), a small coastal town about 175 km north of Gisborne, as a member of Iwi Ngāti Porou . His father was regarded as an expert on traditional Māori traditions. Ngata was influenced by both his father and his great-uncle Ropata Wahawaha , who had led the Ngāti Porou forces in the New Zealand Wars. Ngata grew up in a Māori environment and spoke the Māori language. However, his father also made sure that he learned about the world of the white pākehā , believing this understanding would be of use to the Ngāti Porou.

Ngata attended primary school in Waiomatatini, then Te Aute College, where he received a European education. Ngata was a good student, so he received a scholarship to Canterbury University College . There he studied political science and law. In 1893 he received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, making him the first Māori to receive a degree from a New Zealand university. In 1896 he also received a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Auckland .

marriage

In 1895 Ngata married 16-year-old Arihia Kane Tamati, who belonged to the same Iwi. Ngata was previously engaged to her older sister, Te Rina. However, this died. Apirana and Arihia had 15 children, three boys and one girl who died young. Six girls and five boys reached adulthood.

Shortly after Ngata received his law degree, the family moved to Waiomatatini, where they built a house. Ngata soon became known in the community, he made some efforts to improve the social and economic conditions for the Māori in the country. He also wrote much on the place of Māori culture in modern society. At the same time he gradually gained a leadership position with the Ngāti Porou, especially in the field of land management and finance.

Start of the national political career

Ngata first came into contact with national politics through his friendship with the politician James Carroll . At that time he was Minister of Native Affairs in the government of the Liberal Party . Ngata helped Carroll prepare two bills, both of which should improve the legal rights of the Māori. In the parliamentary elections in 1905, Ngata was elected to parliament as a liberal candidate for the seat of the Eastern Māori constituency and replaced Wi Pere here.

Early political career

Ngata quickly distinguished himself as a gifted speaker in parliament. He worked closely with his friend Carroll and Robert Stout . Ngata and Stout, both members of the Native Land Commission , were often critical of the government's strategy with regard to the Māori, particularly policies that favored the sale of Māori land. In 1909 Ngata assisted John Salmond in drafting the Native Land Act .

In late 1909, Ngata was appointed to the cabinet . He received a subordinate administrative post there, who was responsible for the Māoriland councils. He held this post until 1912 when the Liberal government lost the elections. Ngata followed the Liberals into the parliamentary opposition.

During the First World War, Ngata was active in recruiting among the Māori for military service and worked closely with the MP of the Reform Party , Maui Pomare , together. Ngata's own Iwi, Ngāti Porou , were particularly well represented among the volunteers. The great involvement of the Māori in the war, of which much can be attributed to Ngata and Pomare, created to some extent a more positive attitude of the Pākehā towards the Māori and helped Ngata's later efforts to settle land disputes.

Although part of the opposition, Ngata enjoyed relatively good relations with his counterpart in the ruling party. He was particularly on good terms with Gordon Coates , who became Prime Minister in 1925 . The establishment of several government agencies, such as the Māori Purposes Fund Control Board and the Board of Māori Ethnological Research , is largely thanks to Ngata's efforts.

During this time, Ngata was busy with numerous other things. Among other things, he was active in academic and literary circles. During this time he published several works on important topics of Māori culture. Ngā moteatea , a collection of Māori songs, is one of the better known of these works. Ngata was also concerned with the protection and promotion of Māori culture in the Māori, especially the haka , poi and traditional carvings. One aspect of his advancement of Māori culture was the construction of numerous new traditional meetinghouses on marae across the country. Ngata was also active in sports. He promoted competitions and tournaments between the tribes. Ngata also brought the Māori affairs into the Anglican Church and encouraged it to establish a Māori diocese . Despite all of these activities, Ngata continued to occupy himself intensely with the affairs of his own iwi, especially in the area of ​​land development.

Ngata was beaten to Knight Bachelor in 1927 , making him the third Māori to receive this honor after Carroll and Pomare.

Ministerial career

The United Party , which had been founded by members of parts of the old Liberal Party, unexpectedly won the parliamentary elections in 1928. Ngata returned to the cabinet on December 10, 1928 as the 22nd Minister for Māori Affairs, replacing Gordon Coates . He was third in the cabinet rankings and was occasionally acting deputy prime minister. Ngata remained very active and was known for his tirelessness. Much of his ministerial work has been linked to land reforms and the promotion of development in the Māori lands. Ngata believed in the need to rejuvenate Māori society and worked towards this goal.

In 1929 his wife and eldest son died of an illness.

In 1932, Ngata and his Department of Native Affairs came under increasing criticism from other politicians. Many believed that Ngata was moving too quickly and the numerous activities that Ngata sparked caused organizational difficulties in the department. An investigation by Ngata's department revealed that one of Ngata's subordinates had forged accounts. Ngata himself has been criticized for disregarding official regulations, which he often viewed as obstacles to progress. It has also been accused of favoring the Ngāti Porou, although no evidence has ever been given. Although he had not made any mistakes from his own point of view, he assumed political responsibility for the actions of his ministry and resigned on November 1, 1934. He was succeeded by George Forbes .

Many Māori were angry about Ngata's departure from the government, believing he was the victim of an attempt by the Pākehā to undermine his land reforms.

Next life

Despite his withdrawal from the cabinet, he remained a member of parliament. In the 1935 elections, the Labor Party won and Ngata went into the opposition again. The new government, however, retained many of its reform programs. Ngata remained in parliament from 1905 until the 1943 elections, in which he was defeated by Labor Party candidate Tiaki Omana . In the next elections in 1946 he ran unsuccessfully.

After leaving parliament, Ngata remained politically active. He advised Labor Prime Minister Peter Fraser and Māori Affairs Minister Ernest Corbett on Māori affairs, and in 1940 organized the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Waitangi Treaty . During World War II, he again helped recruit soldiers among the Māori. In 1950 he was appointed to the upper house of parliament, the Legislative Council , but his health was too weak to take up his work.

Ngata died on July 14, 1950 in Waiomatatini. Because of his great contributions to the Māori culture and language, he is featured on the New Zealand $ 50 bill .

literature

• Robert Ritchie Alexander, Ihakara Porutu Puketapu: Ngata, Sir Apirana Turupa . In: Alexander Hare McLintock (Ed.): An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand . Wellington 1966 ( online [accessed December 17, 2015]).
• Mr. Apirana Turupa Ngata . In: The Cyclopedia of New Zealand . Taranaki, Hawke's Bay and Wellington Provincial District - Volume VI . Cyclopedia Company Ltd , Christchurch 1908, p. 301 (English, online [accessed February 9, 2017]).

Web links

Commons : Apirana Ngata  - collection of images, videos and audio files