THE RELIGIOUS AFFILIATIONS OF THE NEW ZEALAND MAORIS

Abstract

IN the first half of last century the Maoris in New Zealand widely adopted Christianity. There were not many white settlers at that time. The non-Maori population of New Zealand in 1851 was only 26,707, as compared with 2,247,898 in 1961. However, the Church of England, Methodist and Catholic missionaries in the early period could exert their influence unhampered by the bad feelings, and consequently wars, which developed later between the Pakehas (white settlers) and Maoris over the appropriation of land. These early beginnings had a pronounced effect on the present composition of denominational membership figures for Maoris.