Changing Outlook Of Younger Maori People -- Land And Ownership

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 22951, 20 May 1949, Page 6

Changing Outlook Of Younger Maori People -- Land And Ownership

Referring to the changing outlook of the younger people among his race, Sir Apirana Ngata, in an address given at Tolaga Bay last week-end at the dedication of a memorial to the late Rev. Wi Hauwaho Tangahau, forecast a movement to abolish the special Parliamentary representation system.

To free. Maori lands from the present *- complex restrictions established partly as a result of the play of Maori custom affirmed, by the Treaty of Waitangi it would be ‘necessary to evolve an ap- ' proximation to the European system of I land titles, he stated. s Because of the involved system of land ownership among the Maoris it I would be possible to produce this ap- | proximation only by a great extension of the consolidation practice which had I been developed over the past 25 years. ! Until the individual Maori could con. solidate his interests and those of his family in one tangible area of land he ' would continue under the disabilities < inherent in the principle of customary 1 title recognised in the Treaty of Wai- * tangi. 1 ! Drive by the younger People ■ The older people would not provide the drive which would affect the free- I ing'of Maori lands from the old restric- s tions. The drive would come, no 1 doubt, from the younger people, whose I changing outlook was exemplified in 1 the representations which had led to the removal of restrictions in relation t to the country’s licensing laws. < He estimated that a change In the < Parliamentary representation system = might be effected within 10 years. To £ establish Maori land titles on an approximation to the European system of , land ownership - might take muchlonger. but he felt that it would come; indeed, it would have to be done to , fulfil history and to be fair to both { Kaces. Sir Apirana emphasised that he was interpreting the course of future events and not expressing his own opinion as , to the direction which the ambition j for equality among the younger genera- ] tion of Maoris should take. i