In order to achieve the purposes and objectives of this thesis, it is structured into eight chapters. The first three chapters (including this chapter) provide a
contextual and theoretical background for understanding ethnic identities and changing patterns of ethnic identification in New Zealand. Chapter two specifically focuses on theories of ethnicity, its relevance to Māori and iwi identities and the role of the census in constructing ethnic identities. It begins with a brief discussion of the evolution of ethnicity as a concept and as a subject of sociological inquiry; only to find that it is a concept that is highly complex with little consensus on its meaning. The chapter then presents how the concept is best understood as a debate between two major perspectives – primordialism and
social constructionism. Although primordial views align more closely to
traditional conceptions of Māori identity, it is a paradigm that is insufficient for explaining contemporary patterns of ethnic identifications. In response, the chapter proposes social constructionism as a more useful paradigm in which to understand iwi identification. This is presented in a theoretical model that shows that iwi identification is ultimately determined by broader social, political and economic factors.
Chapter three provides a historical account of how Māori identities have been portrayed in the New Zealand census, relative to the wider social and political context over time. This chapter illustrates the idea that ethnic questions and categories are socially constructed.
The following chapter serves as a bridge between the contextual and data analysis. Chapter four outlines the methodology pertaining to the data analysis. This paper uses New Zealand Census of Population and Dwellings as the main data source, and explains the relevant details about how it is administered, who administers it and how it collects iwi population data. Furthermore, the chapter highlights some of the issues are in the collection of iwi data and the impact this has on the data analyses. The chapter finally specifies the statistical methods that are used to conduct the data analyses.
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The next four chapters specifically focus on the analysing tribal population growth patterns. This is conducted in two parts. Chapter five analyses the population growth patterns of the total iwi population in comparison to other population groups - Māori ethnic group, Māori ancestry, and the New Zealand total population. The purpose of this exercise is to compare the impacts of the demographic determinants on each population group, but to also highlight that different population groups have different factors driving growth. The chapter also highlights that the iwi population growth is a summation of the growth patterns of many individual iwi, which implies that the total iwi population growth is determined by the experiences of single iwi. This requires an analysis of individual iwi. For this purpose, the second part of the data analysis section focuses on case studies of four selected iwi – Ngāi Tahu, Waikato, Ngāti Awa and Tūhoe.
Chapter six begins with the first set of case studies of Ngāi Tahu and Waikato. These two iwi have been selected for the purposes of illustrating the impact of the Treaty settlements environment on tribal growth patterns. Both iwi received landmark Treaty and raupatu (land confiscation) settlements from the crown in 1995 and 1997 respectively. These settlements were particularly significant because of the large financial reparation involved and the media attention surrounding their settlements at the time. This media attention, size of the settlement reparation, and size of the iwi population and geographic region provides further context to the iwi growth patterns that both iwi experienced.
The next chapter switches its focus to study the growth patterns of two relatively smaller iwi located in the Eastern Bay of Plenty –Ngāti Awa and Tūhoe. Like the previous two iwi, Ngāti Awa also settled with the Crown but in 2003. However, Ngāti Awa received much less financial reparation than Ngāi Tahu and Waikato, and had to a smaller degree, public media attention. However, analysing Ngāti Awa population patterns helps us to determine whether similar changes occur at the timing of their settlement like that the larger iwi. The final case study considers the patterns of Tūhoe. Tūhoe have an interesting historical context. Firstly, Tūhoe representatives are currently in negotiations with the Crown, and therefore have not settled yet. Secondly, Tūhoe have had a history of tense
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relationships with the Crown, and in recent years, has drawn a mixture of media attention that has in some respects, shown the resilience of Tūhoe. Thirdly, Tūhoe directly negotiated with the Crown as opposed to going through the Waitangi Tribunal. And, fourthly, Tūhoe have constantly asserted that they never signed the Treaty. However, most of the media attention has occurred after the census focal period and, has not yet settled. Therefore, we would expect significantly different patterns compared to the other three iwi, which gives further impetus to Lowe’s 1989, that the context surrounding iwi are unique but, also that the broader environment does have an impact on growth patterns. The final chapter concludes with a general overview of the main themes of the thesis. It
particularly focuses on the key findings from the data analyses and relates this back to theories of ethnic identities.
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