Urban MÃÂori are MÃÂori people living in urban areas outside the rohe (traditional tribal lands) of their iwi (tribe) or hapà « (sub-tribe). The 2013 New Zealand census showed that 84% of MÃÂori in New Zealand lived in urban areas, 25% lived in Auckland, and most others lived in other metropolitan centres like Wellington and Christchurch. Many MÃÂori continued to associate with their iwi and their rohe, but more than 15% did not know their tribal affiliation.
Urban MÃÂori associations include NgÃÂti ÃÂkarana in Auckland, NgÃÂti Poneke in Wellington. There are also MÃÂori associations in major cities in Australia, as well as NgÃÂti RÃÂnana in London.
During the 19th and early 20th centuries, the MÃÂori population of New Zealand predominantly lived in rural communities away from large urban centres. This began to change during World War II, when the Manpower Act 1944 was used to encourage young MÃÂori men and women who were ineligible to join the military to work in urban factories. Many soldiers who returned after the war also decided to settle in the urban centres of New Zealand, and people were enticed to cities at the prospect of finding work. Prior to World War II, approximately 10% of the MÃÂori population lived in an urban setting. By 1951, this figure had increased to 19%, and five years later to 24%. The urban population grew even further to 62% of MÃÂori by the mid-1960s, and nearly 80% by 1986.
During the 1960s, the Department of MÃÂori Affairs officially encouraged the urbanisation of MÃÂori, often finding work and accommodation for families interested in moving to the city. In the 1950s, MÃÂori populations concentrated around wharves, factories and transportation infrastructure. In Auckland, this meant inner suburbs such as Freemans Bay, Ponsonby and Herne Bay, where housing was poor and decaying. To counter overcrowding in the central suburbs, large scale government-led housing projects were undertaken in the suburbs of à Âtara, MÃÂngere and Te Atatà «, while similar projects were undertaken in Wellington, at Porirua, the Hutt Valley and Wainuiomata.
Urbanisation caused a range of social structure changes for MÃÂori, as many were now isolated from whÃÂnau and traditional lands. The pressures of capitalism and Western society made many MÃÂori dedicate their time to jobs involving permanent employments, spending little time for subsistence gardening, which was more commonly undertaken in rural communities. WhÃÂnau (extended family) began to have less importance over the core nuclear family, and over time the significance of whÃÂnau changed in an urban context, with many families meeting at the homes of kaumÃÂtua and kuia for special occasions, such as times of celebration and bereavement. Many families struggled in the new urban environment with fewer extended family resources to assist them, which factored into issues such as homelessness and the development of gangs in New Zealand.
Voluntary associations, such as churches, MÃÂori cultural clubs and the MÃÂori Women's Welfare League took on a much more important role in the lives of urban MÃÂori. Activities that had previously been undertaken at marae, such as birth and tangi were increasingly held at peoples' private residences, or at community halls, especially those associated with urban MÃÂori associations such as NgÃÂti ÃÂkarana in Auckland and NgÃÂti Poneke in Wellington. By the 1970s, associations with political groups such as NgàTamatoa had become important to the lives of many urban MÃÂori, and in the 1980s urban MÃÂori authorities such as Te WhÃÂnau o Waipareira Trust (West Auckland), the Manukau Urban MÃÂori Authority (South Auckland), Te Rà «nanga o Kirikiriroa Trust (Hamilton), Te Rà «nanganui o te à ªpoko o Te Ika (Wellington), and Te Rà «nanga o NgàMaata Waka (Christchurch) were established to foster economic, social and community development in urban areas.
During the 1950s, urban MÃÂori and PÃÂkehÃÂ populations in cities tended to live discrete lives separate from one another, often only interacting for employment, religion and rugby. During the initial period of urbanisation, many PÃÂkehÃÂ were mistrustful of urban MÃÂori, believing that city life was inappropriate for MÃÂori, and felt that social problems would arise due to the differing social and cultural norms of the cities. These attitudes decreased over time, and urban MÃÂori and PÃÂkehÃÂ begun to live less separate lives from each other.
By the 1960s, a new generation of children were being born: MÃÂori who were raised in an urban context, and who could claim affiliations to a wide number of iwi, due to many marriages occurring between people immigrating from different areas of the country. Many people who grew up in urban environments felt a lack of connection to their iwi and traditional lands, and had little interaction with kaumÃÂtua and kuia to impart heritage and traditions. Many third and fourth-generation urban MÃÂori do not know their tribal affiliations, or have little contact with their iwi. Many rurally located marae make active efforts to reconnect with urban MÃÂori and those living outside of their traditional rohe, who are often referred to as taura here (bound ropes).
During the early 20th century, figures such as Te Puea HÃÂrangi, ÃÂpirana Ngata were proponents for re-establishing marae a symbol of MÃÂori identity and mana, including urban marae serve populations who lived away from their traditional lands. A need for marae located in cities was felt due to community halls being inappropriate places to hold tangihanga.
In 1963, the MÃÂori communities at MÃÂngere and Onehunga were greatly affected by the Brynderwyn bus accident. The community struggled to host the tangihanga that they needed to hold for the members of their community, which became an impetus for the creation of the Te Puea Memorial Marae, the first urban marae in Auckland, which opened in 1965.
Over time, three types of marae were found in the cities of New Zealand. The first type were traditional marae which had become engulfed by the suburban development of cities, the second hapà «-based marae to serve a specific extended family community, and the third being pan-tribal marae, which were built to serve the local MÃÂori community regardless of whakapapa. The first of the latter was ÃÂraiteuru Marae in Dunedin, which opened on 10 February 1980 with Minister of MÃÂori Affairs Ben Couch as official guest. Other pan-tribal marae include Hoani Waititi Marae at Oratia in West Auckland, NgàHau e WhàMarae at Pukekohe, and NgàHau e WhàNational Marae in Christchurch. Urban marae have also been established at educational facilities, such as secondary schools, universities and Polytechnics.