Story: Anti-racism and Treaty of Waitangi activism

Māori land march, 1975

Thousands of Māori and Pākehā took part in the 1975 hīkoi (land march) from the Far North to Parliament, headed by the elderly Hokianga community leader Whina Cooper. This film extract shows Cooper in a brown coat and pink headscarf, together with other marchers. One of them explains his reasons for taking part in this historic protest action. The land march was organised by a group called Te Rōpū Matakite o Aotearoa (those with foresight), whose banner can be seen in the background. Following the march, government institutions began to change their approach to dealing with Māori concerns.

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How to cite this page:

Robert Consedine, 'Anti-racism and Treaty of Waitangi activism - Organising against racism, 1970s to early 21st century', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/video/26676/maori-land-march-1975 (accessed 30 March 2024)

Story by Robert Consedine, published 5 May 2011, reviewed & revised 28 May 2018