Maori land claims: a historical perspective

This paper describes the historical context of NZ land disputes to illustrate that the resolution of indigenous grievances through the return of assets has facilitated Maori economic development and entrepreneurial activity. Maori had a significant proportion of their capital base expropriated from them and this created poverty and cultural decay in the NZ's indigenous population. Entrepreneurship literature shows that entrepreneurial activity is a function of financial resources and societal environment. For Maori tribes to be more economically successful and entrepreneurial, they need to reach settlements with the government over land and cultural alienation, and have strong Maori leadership. Factors that have already assisted the process have been changes in legislation and government Maori affairs policies. The comparison of three tribes: South Island Ngai Tahu, Waikato Tainui and Northland Muriwhenua illustrates the importance of these issues.