Led by the president and Mr P. B. Reweti, Member of Parliament for Eastern Maori, League members proceed onto Turangawaewae marae for a traditional welcome. advancement of the years was due to the efforts of Maori women themselves, under the Welfare League's inspiration.” This constituted for our organisation the very essence of achievement. (I will never cease to quote this until it finds its way into the annals of our history and social development!!!) ‘The second decade saw the independence of our organisation, the formation of the New Zealand Maori Council—the development of a dichotomy in Maori leadership and thinking, and the consequent effects of such division on issues of public concern. The activities were based largely on differences of functions and interests. Our women began to leave such things as land laws, housing and general politics to men, implicitly recognising their traditional roles in these fields and their pre-emptive status. ‘Because of this act of accommodation, the League assumed a secondary leadership role and somehow lost its momentum. The conference platform and democratic procedures remained our metier, submission and the modern mass media, that of the men. ‘Also during this period, the birth of the Maori Education Foundation took away League educational involvement, removing our close relationship with some of our secondary schools. ‘However, it introduced for us what can be considered our most outstanding contribution in the 60s—the development of the play centre movement in the League, and its extension by our women into Australia amongst the Aborigines. With such obvious ability it would appear to me a shocking indictment that to date, few, if any of these women have been used in a paid government system for pre-school services as pre-school advisers, so urgently needed. ‘Thus ends the first chapter of League history and endeavour over 20 years, and the beginnings of a new era.

The Third Decade—a New Era ‘Today we face the challenge of the Seventies. ‘We have come full circle round. For all that we did in the past, it seems the circle was but a vicious one. We have come through a second migration—te heke tuarua—from the villages to the towns—a refugee population 70% strong! ‘We now have youth alienation in large