Heke Tangata: Maori in Markets and Cities

Heke Tangata can broadly be translated as “migration of the people’, and in this book economist Brian Easton tracks the major relocations Maori have made into the cities and market economy since 1945. The book’s first part provides a narrative of the post-war Maori experience while the second part gives the statistical basis, covering areas including criminal justice, demography, education, employment, health, housing, incomes and wealth. The picture that emerges is stark: Maori remain a generation behind Pakeha in economic well-being. Concise, impartial and pulling no punches, Heke Tangata represents a core text for policy discussion and general understanding of Maori economic participation in contemporary Aotearoa/New Zealand.