Colonial Politician’s Prediction Proven Wrong by 2006 Census

Dr Pita Sharples; Co-leader of the Maori Party; and

Deputy Chairperson of the Maori Affairs Select Committee

Wednesday 21 March 2007

Dr Pita Sharples was delighted today, with Census results that disprove the prediction of Dr Isaac Featherston, a surgeon and politician who in 1846 had infamously warned :

“A barbarous and coloured race must inevitably die out by mere contact with the civilised white : our business therefore, and all we can do, is to smooth the pillow of the dying Maori race”.

“Today’s Census statistics demonstrate the remarkable regeneration and growth of the Maori population” said Dr Sharples. “Tangata whenua will be celebrating today that the Maori population has increased by 30% in the past fifteen years, to an all-time high of 565,329”.

“As Member of Tamaki Makaurau, I am especially enthusiastic about the fact that 24.3% of all Maori live in the Auckland region” said Dr Sharples.

“The Census results show very clear our dramatic shift as a people, from a predominantly rural based population (in 1956, nearly two-thirds of Maori lived in rural areas) to 2006, when 84.4% of Maori live in urban areas” said Dr Pita Sharples.

“As well as being urban-based, Maori are remarkable for our youthful vitality” said Dr Sharples, speaking from the youthful position of a 65 year old.

“Our median age at 22.7 years old is very distinctive – and a clear point of comparison with the general New Zealand population (median age of 35.9 years old)”.

“Of course a big part of this, is the size of the Maori population under 15 years – 35.4% of our population is in this age group compared to 21.5% for the general population”.

“This is precisely why I have invited the Maori Affairs Select Committee to take up a major inquiry into system failure for Maori in compulsory education” said Dr Sharples.

Ministry of Education school leaving tables showed that in 2005, 53% of Maori boys left school without even level one of the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA), compared with 20% of Pakeha boys.

“When such a significant proportion of our population are experiencing the system failure that these results reveal, we have to all be concerned” said Dr Sharples.

“Given our youthful population, it’s great that today, a draft curriculum has been released to support the growth of te reo Maori in schools” said Dr Sharples. “Clearly, one of the stark differences in the Census results is that while te reo Maori is alive and well amongst our pakeke, our rangatahi have been missing out”.

“The statistics also show the impressive results that the three wananga have achieved in improving Maori tertiary qualifications” said Dr Sharples. “It is very pleasing to see that the number of Maori achieving bachelor degrees or higher qualifications has risen by 10,000”.

“These figures must, however, be tempered with the figures released last week by the Ministry of Education which reported that Maori participation in tertiary education had declined from 22.7% of the adult Maori population in 2004 to 22.1% in 2005; while participation rate for students of all ethnicities increased from 13.7% to 14.2%” said Dr Sharples, tertiary education spokesperson for the Maori Party.

“It is disappointing that the adverse effects of Government’s attack against Wananga; and the withdrawal of vital student support such as SSG and Manaaki tauira funding, has already made such a dramatic difference”.

“It is important to always think about the bigger context of how Maori fit within the New Zealand economy” said Dr Sharples. “As an example, while we celebrate the fact that the proportion of Maori stating they were unemployed fell to 11% in 2006 – it is still a good deal higher than the total unemployment rate in New Zealand which is 5.1 percent for people aged 15 years and over”.

“The same goes with income levels – while it is great that the median income for Maori has risen to over $20,900 in 2006, the median income for all New Zealanders is $24,400 – and so we have to just ask, WHY?” said Dr Sharples.

“Still – that dying race is well and truly thriving so we have to see that for what it is – awesome!” said Dr Sharples.

“I was really pleased to see that the number of people of Maori who do not know their whakapapa (descent) has decreased by 8.4% - so clearly it is becoming more and more positive to Be Maori; to think Maori; to Live Maori” said Dr Sharples.

“And on a last – but by no means final note – I just have to be celebrating that Ngati Kahungunu is now the third largest iwi in Aotearoa (population count of 59,946)” said Dr Sharples. “Although, just don’t tell Hone that Ngapuhi are number one or we’ll never hear the end of it! (Ngapuhi are on 122, 211)".

ENDS

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