April 07, 2016
Maorimeter spans urban-iwi divide
A survey on Maori identity is opening up a conversation about Maori in cities and how they want to be represented.
The Maorimeter is being run by the National Urban Maori Authority, with a particular focus on the one in four Maori living in Tamaki Makaurau.
Chief executive Lance Norman says Census data says 85 percent of Maori live in cities or towns, and 70 percent live outside their iwi rohe.
He says Maori aren’t being asked to drop their iwi connections, but there are things their own iwi can’t do for them.
"Some people don’t realise that living in the city you are a Maori living in the city so you are an urban Maori and therefore our iwi will always advocate for us back home but, who advocates for us in the city on local boards, DHB's, councils , licensing trusts or even at a national level. A lot of our people are in prison, have truancy issues, who's advocating for us in the cities at those levels," he says.
Lance Norman says one in five Maori at the last census indicated they don’t know which iwi they belong to, so connecting people back to their iwi is part of what urban Maori authorities do where they can.
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