Te Kotahitanga
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Māori Parliament Movement Te Kotahitanga |
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Flag of the United Tribes of New Zealand
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| Type | |
| Type | |
| Houses |
Te Whare Ariki (Upper House) Te Whare o Raro (Lower House) |
| History | |
| Founded | 14 June 1892 |
| Disbanded | 21 March 1902 |
| Succeeded by | Māori Councils |
| Leadership | |
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Chairman
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Speaker
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Premier
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| Seats |
140 44 (Whare Ariki) 96 (Whare o Raro) |
| Meeting place | |
| Waipatu (1892, 1893), Pākirikiri (1894), Rotorua (1895), Taupō (1896), Pāpāwai (1897, 1898), Rotorua (1900, 1901), Waiōmatatini (1902) | |
The Kotahitanga movement was an autonomous Māori Parliament convened annually in New Zealand from 1892 until 1902. Though not recognised by the New Zealand Government, the Māori Parliament was an influential body while it lasted. By 1902 its role was largely superseded by the Māori Councils established by James Carroll and Hone Heke Ngapua through the Māori Councils Act 1900. As a result, Kotahitanga members unanimously voted for its dissolution at the 10th Parliament at Waiōmatatini in 1902.
Te Kotahitanga was distinct from Te Kauhanganui, the Māori parliament established by the Kingitanga movement in the late 1880s, because it called for the union of all Māori tribes, whereas Te Kauhanganui was convened by and for the hapu of the Waikato-Tainui region. In 1895 the two movements considered merging, but this ultimately failed.
The first formal session of Te Kotahitanga was held in June 1892 at Waipatu in Heretaunga. It was hosted by the former Member of Parliament for the Eastern Maori electorate, Henare Tomoana. 96 representatives sat in the Whare o Raro and 44 chiefs sat in the Whare Ariki. Tomoana was elected Speaker of the House because his tenure in parliament gave him the experience necessary to guide debates and maintain order. Hoani Te Whatahoro Jury was elected Chairman, the formal head of the Whare o Raro, and Hamiora Mangakahia was elected premier, a position that made him the chief spokesperson for the movement.
In 1893 the second session of Te Kotahitanga was also convened at Waipatu, though this session was poorly attended. Only 58 representatives sat in the Whare o Raro. At that time, Mangakahia had fallen out of favour with many of the movement's representatives and was not returned as premier. Hoani Te Whatahoro Jury was elected in his place.
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Wikipedia