Page "Culture of New Zealand" Paragraph 19

From the 1860s, the adoption of Pākehā culture became less of a free choice as Pākehā began to outnumber Māori.

A Pākehā-dominated parliament had free rein to pass legislation affecting Māori, such as the Native Schools Act ( 1867 ) which required English to be the dominant medium of instruction for Māori children.

So, while majority of Māori encouraged their children to learn the English language and Pākehā ways of life to function economically and socially, Māori were pushed as well as pulled into changing culture.

From the early twentieth century and especially from the 1970s, Māori began to protest against this Eurocentrism and demanded equal recognition for their own culture.