Problems and Purpose:

The primary problem introduced is the construction of a housing development on sacred Maori land in south Auckland, New Zealand. In 2014, a law graduate Pania Newton and her cousins came together around a kitchen table and agreed to do everything in their power to prevent a major housing development at Ihumātao [1]. 

The purpose of the protest is to allow citizens to revise law, or better to shed light on injustice affecting the idigenious people. The organizers have begun enabling more women, and young Maori in general, to join the movement. They are learning to speak out on behalf of their tribe even when it defies traditional authority. They are advocating for change while motivating future generations to join the movement in whatever way they can. The movement allows all citizens, even those not from Maori heritage, to participate in advocating for others. The movement also has a somewhat hidden goal of empowering women. While participants and advocates are certainly not turned away if they are women, the leaders of the movement are female and their goal was to empower their fellow Maori women to take a stand.

Background History and Context:

The land of Ihumatao is the site of the earliest human settlements and longest continuous human habitation in Aoterra, as well as in all of New Zealand [2]. The land is a small peninsula full of rich volcanic fields and beautiful gardens, and is of enormous cultural significance to the Maori people [3]. Additionally, the land is significant in its biodiversity as a result of the volcanic field underneath. The land had been left relatively untouched since the first settlers and is currently at risk in order to build large housing developments [4]. This attempt is directly contradictory to the country's historical reputation of being a place that emphasizes cultural and environmental sustainability.

The Maroi people have a long history of protesting when their rights were being infringed upon [5]. Today, the Maori account for 15% of the New Zealand population. Most of their land was disposed of during the colonization of New Zealand by Britain in the 19th century [6]. The Maori claim that through the removal of sacred lands they are being stripped of their cultural rights and spiritual connections to the land, and are disproportionately affected by social problems such as homelessness and imprisonment as a result [7]. Current initiatives are being referred to as the new wave of protests. They differ from their predecessors in their visions for the future. Older Maori, those with current tribal authority, are in support of the developments, because of long relational ties as well as direct compensation for the land [8]. Current research suggests significant deficits in the current tribal regime resulting in major loss of heritage in recent years [9]. The people, however, feel any compensation is not worth their land.

Organizing, Supporting, and Funding Entities:

Pania Newton and her cousins were the original creators of the Ihumātao protests. Since then, many different organizations' projects have spurred from this original protest [10]. For example, Laura O’Connell Raperia has begun ActionStation, a team made up of eight staff members. They are an “independent, crowdfunded, community campaigning organisation” with a mission of supporting and being of service to New Zealand citizens. Additionally, Pania Newton spearheaded a project named Save Our Unique Landscape (SOUL) that started in order to organize a real way to fight the injustices happening at Ihumātao [11]. The protests have gained large amounts of global support through the utilization of social media. This has increased community support as well as providing a foundation for funding through crowd-funding websites.

Participant Recruitment and Selection

The case began as face to face participation. Through the use of social media, though, the platform transformed in order to encompass people from all over the world from diverse backgrounds made up from different age groups, cultural backgrounds, and ethnicities [12]. Maori women as young as age sixteen contribute to the creation and maintenance of social media platforms, but choose to remain anonymous to prevent the possibility of negative repercussions because of involvement. The campaign has drawn thousands of visitors, around 300 each week, including schools that come to learn about the significance of the place through guided tours.

The main form of selection was voluntary self selection. They began by getting ordinary citizens to participate, up to thousands of people in particular movements, with just a small few who spearhead the operation. The movement hopes to become even more active, but is struggling due to backlash from some of the older Maori population who are not currently in support of the protests.

Methods and Tools Used:

The team utilizes social media in order to further their audience. They began with smaller networks, but with the increased media coverage over time and their influential social-media presence, they were able to create quite a large platform. Demonstrations were a method used in the form of protests. Occupation was a tactic used by protestors where groups of people literally occupy a public space in protest of a situation in a campaign for social change. Stories were covered all over the world, via many news outlets and academic journals. The individuals made use of petitions to prove community support for their mission. Additionally, many organizers and participants furthered their reach by attending public hearings regarding the housing development. Due to their strategic tactics, they were able to present cases to the United Nations [13].

What Went On: Process, Interaction, and Participation:

In 2014, after the Super City was formed, the government and the Auckland Council designated 32 hectares adjacent to the Ōtuataua Stonefields Historic Reserve as a Special Housing Area (SHA). Quickly after, Pania Newton, on behalf of SOUL, vocalized her plan to fight the housing development. The protestors’ primary argument is how the land was originally obtained by people who would eventually decide to sell it to developers [14]. Starting in early November, around 20 members of the community began camping and setting up permanent residence at the site [15]. Individuals began moving in sheds, tents, and even boats. While there is no detailed information on how many people attended each event, the numbers are thought to be into the thousands. The event utilized hashtags and spread the word about the movement through numerous accounts by people sharing posts. Stories were covered in different scholarly articles, newspapers, and in some different media formats.

In 2017, they took the fight to the United Nations where they were advised to seek further consultation. The UN suggested that the country review previous land dealings in regards to the rights of indigenous people [16]. In March 2019, the inheritors of the land brought a signed petition requesting government intervention. The petition presented had 4,000 signatures. On July 23, 20191 there was an eviction notice presented to people located at Ihumātao permanently [17]. The next day, Mayor Phil Goff reached out to protesters proclaiming he could do no more. On July 25th, only two days after the presentation of the eviction notice, some counselors who voted on the development admitted publicly that they regretted voting in favor of the housing development. Many people, like these voters, were sympathetic towards the Maori people but could not do much for them.

Influence, Outcomes, and Effects:

The individuals at Ihumātao may have been evicted, but the efforts of this movement have not ended. There are still thousands of people involved in the fight for the indigenous rights of the Maori people. They may not win every battle, but through community support and global awareness the fight for New Zealand natives is not over. The mission failed in revision of law, and in obtaining a means to stop the development of their sacred land, but they were still successful. Through their work they have been able to shine a bright light on the injustices affecting the indigenous people. They have incorporated individuals of all ages and genders and provided an empowering platform for them to advocate for change. The movement has drawn international attention and has obtained a large investment in their mission. This is an opportunity for all members involved to develop bonds with one another forming relationships and gaining social capital [18]. Participants learned how to advocate with the goal of advocating for others, developed relationships with people of their same cultural background, participated in political proceedings, and engaged more of the general public in civil activity while building a stronger sense of community. They were able to increase knowledge and understanding of indigenous rights for people around the world. After being served an eviction notice, they had hundreds of calls of support from people all around the world [19]. This has been successful in empowering a new generation of Maori women and men, as well as people all over the world, to fight for the cultural heritage of New Zealand.

Analysis and Lessons Learned:

This movement showed that the importance of getting as many people involved as possible creates a more powerful impact. The orchestrators were not only focused on the Maori people or New Zealand citizens: instead they cast a wider net and were able to shed light on their issue all across the globe.

The case also showed that sometimes we cannot measure progress by the battles won. While the protestors were asked to leave Ihumātao, they have not stopped fighting for the rights of indigenous people for future generations. This suggests that viewers should revise their idea of success to incorporate the impact that was made by the protests as well as the motivation and support gathered that can potentially create future change. The protest failed to revise law and to reverse the decision that sold the land to a housing development, but they were able to impact a large amount of people. They were able to empower many young Maori to fight in order to preserve their history. They gained advocates all over the globe that just further supported their mission. This case is an example of an imperfect world where financial interests trump the conservation of history. Sadly, in certain situations the results are out of individual hands.

External Links:

1. https://www.hrc.co.nz/files/5115/6651/4254/International_human_rights_perspectives_on_Ihumatao.pdf
2. http://counterfutures.nz/6/McCREANOR%20HANCOCK%20SHORT.pdf
3. ​​https://www.protectihumatao.com/
4. https://actionstation.org.nz/about/our-team 

References:

1. Reuters. (2019, August 12). In New Zealand, young Māori women lead the battle for indigenous rights. Retrieved from https://www.google.com/amp/s/nypost.com/2019/08/12/in-new-zealand-young-maori-women-lead-the-battle-for-indigenous-rights/amp/
2. Came, H., Tudor, K., Woodard, W. (2019). David versus goliath: Justice for the people of Ihumātao. Psychotherapy and Politics International, 17(2). Retrieved from   https://doi.org/10.1002/ppi.1498
3. Haunui-Thompson, S., & Fernandes, K. (2019, July 24) Explainer: Why Ihumātao is being occupied by 'protectors'. Retrieved from https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/395121/explainer-why-ihumatao-is-being-occupied-by-protectors\
4. Gravis, I., Németh, K., Procter, J. N. (2017). The role of cultural and indigenous values in geosite evaluations on a quaternary monogenetic volcanic landscape at Ihumātao, Auckland volcanic field, New Zealand. Geoheritage, 9(3), pg. 373. Retrieved from https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12371-016-0198-8
5. Menon, P. (2019, August 11) Factbox: History of recent protests by Māori in New Zealand. NZ Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved from https://www.google.com/amp/s/mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idUSKCN1V104F
6. Malva, S., (2019). Land, housing, and capitalism: The social consequences of free markets in aotearoa New Zealand. Economic and Social Research Aotearoa. Retrieved from https://esra.nz/land-housing-capitalism/
7. Came, H., Tudor, K., Woodard, W. (2019). David versus goliath: Justice for the people of Ihumātao. Psychotherapy and Politics International, 17(2). Retrieved from   https://doi.org/10.1002/ppi.1498
8. Reuters. (2019, August 12). In New Zealand, young Māori women lead the battle for indigenous rights. Retrieved from https://www.google.com/amp/s/nypost.com/2019/08/12/in-new-zealand-young-maori-wome
9. Doyle, C. T. (2019). Resistance is never wasted- Defending Māori cultural heritage with radical planning (Thesis, Master of Planning). University of Otago. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/10523/9476
10. Malva, S., (2019). Land, housing, and capitalism: The social consequences of free markets in aotearoa New Zealand. Economic and Social Research Aotearoa. Retrieved from https://esra.nz/land-housing-capitalism/
11. Haunui-Thompson, S., & Fernandes, K. (2019, July 24) Explainer: Why Ihumātao is being occupied by 'protectors'. Retrieved from https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/395121/explainer-why-ihumatao-is-being-occupied-by-protectors\
12. Reuters. (2019, August 12). In New Zealand, young Māori women lead the battle for indigenous rights. Retrieved from https://www.google.com/amp/s/nypost.com/2019/08/12/in-new-zealand-young-maori-wome
13. Came, H., Tudor, K., Woodard, W. (2019). David versus goliath: Justice for the people of Ihumātao. Psychotherapy and Politics International, 17(2). Retrieved from   https://doi.org/10.1002/ppi.1498
14. Haunui-Thompson, S., & Fernandes, K. (2019, July 24) Explainer: Why Ihumātao is being occupied by 'protectors'. Retrieved from https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/395121/explainer-why-ihumatao-is-being-occupied-by-protectors\
15. Reuters. (2019, August 12). In New Zealand, young Māori women lead the battle for indigenous rights. Retrieved from https://www.google.com/amp/s/nypost.com/2019/08/12/in-new-zealand-young-maori-wome
16. Haunui-Thompson, S., & Fernandes, K. (2019, July 24) Explainer: Why Ihumātao is being occupied by 'protectors'. Retrieved from https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/395121/explainer-why-ihumatao-is-being-occupied-by-protectors\
17. Haunui-Thompson, S., & Fernandes, K. (2019, July 24) Explainer: Why Ihumātao is being occupied by 'protectors'. Retrieved from https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/395121/explainer-why-ihumatao-is-being-occupied-by-protectors\
18. Reuters. (2019, August 12). In New Zealand, young Māori women lead the battle for indigenous rights. Retrieved from https://www.google.com/amp/s/nypost.com/2019/08/12/in-new-zealand-young-maori-wome
19. Haunui-Thompson, S., & Fernandes, K. (2019, July 24) Explainer: Why Ihumātao is being occupied by 'protectors'. Retrieved from https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/395121/explainer-why-ihumatao-is-being-occupied-by-protectors\

Notes

The first version of this case entry was written by Cassidy Mitchell, a Master of Public Service candidate at the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service, and then edited. The views expressed in the entry are those of the authors, editors, or cited sources, and are not necessarily those of the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service.