Who's speaking for these diverse and dynamic Te Waipounamu Maori communities?

Crunching data from the 2013 Census we see that there have been some dramatic changes in the size and location of Maori communities in Te Waipounamu. For instance the number of Maori in the Selwyn District (where I live) is up a staggering 51% This can be attributed to movements post-earthquake and the growth in the agricultural sector. Likewise Waimakariri is up 25%, and Hurunui 35%

This puts the onus on both Crown, Ngai Tahu, and Nga Matawaka/Taurahere to understanding their communities and put in place strategies of support.

Maori demographics if we were a kainga of 100

The 2013 census has a ‘Quick Stats’ presentation where Aotearoa/NZ is analysed as if it were a village of 100 people. In this village, 70 people are Pākehā (Stats NZ still refers to them as European - the figures may include Tauiwi born in Europe) and 14 are Maori, with the remainder made up of a variety of Peoples, predominantly Asian (Figure 1). 

If Maori were a kainga of 100 people:

1.       52 would be wāhine; 48 would be tane.

2.       33 would be under the age of 15.

3.       19 are Ngā Puhi.

4.       86 live in Te Ika a Maui.

5.       25 live in Tamaki Makaurau.

6.       21 can able to korero in te reo; only 6 of these will be under the age of 15 (down from the 2006 census).

7.       22 of those over 15 will have no qualification (an improvement from 2006).

8.       29 of those over 15 are employed full-time (down from 2006); 9 are working part-time; 7 are unemployed (two more than in 2006).

9.       The median income is $22,500 ($27,200 for tane, $19,900 for wāhine).

However, if we were to include our whanaunga in Australia, estimated at 128,154, they become 16 ‘absentee’ residents of our kainga.

[Statistics NZ uses two main approaches to categorise Maori: ethnicity (which refers to ‘cultural affiliation’), and descent/whakapapa. The 2013 census identifies 598,605 as ‘ethnically’ Maori, and 668,724 as having whakapapa. This analysis uses whakapapa as defining who is Maori]

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[1] Iwi statistics are based on descent/whakapapa figures.

Maori Primary School rolls bounce back

But not everywhere.

A graph of tamariki school enrolments by ward in Otautahi...bounce back everywhere except Banks Peninsula.

Maori school enrolments years 1 - 5

More 2013 Maori census graphs: Te Reo speakers decline...

The first is total resident Maori population in Aotearoa/NZ on the night of this years census. Add 130,000 for those in Ahitareiria!

Overall Aotearoa resident Maori population

This next chart is very interesting, showing some significant increases in those earning above average salaries and some declines in those earning lower amounts but a big increase in Maori on zero incomes! WTF?

 Needs the median income data to make sense...

What will be of real concern for many is the decline in te reo speakers...

Te Reo speakers

Maori as portrayed by the 2013 Census

A deliberate title as no census can 'capture' a people...

This is hows StatsNZ counts us:

Māori are counted in two ways in the New Zealand Census of Population and Dwellings: through ethnicity and through Māori descent. This publication covers both of these measures. Māori ethnicity and Māori descent are different concepts – ethnicity refers to cultural affiliation, while descent is about ancestry.
The Māori ethnic group population is made up of people who stated Māori as being their sole ethnic group, or one of several ethnic groups.
Māori descent refers to those people who are a descendent of a person of the Māori race of New Zealand. The Māori descent counts form the basis of iwi statistics.
In 2013:

• 598,605 people identified with the Māori ethnic group
• 668,724 people were of Māori descent. 

Which is less than I would've guessed (but of course 130,000 of us are in Ahitereiria!).

Some graphs I've just done quickly...no analysis.

Maori by region

Canterbury by ethnicity

Canterbury Maori by iwi (>500)