Tohunga Suppression Act 1907
| Tohunga Suppression Act 1907 | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| New Zealand Parliament | |
| An Act to suppress Tohungas | |
| Date of Royal Assent | 24 September 1907 |
| Date commenced | Immediate |
| Introduced by | James Carroll |
| Amendments | |
| None | |
| Related legislation | |
| Maori Councils Act 1900, Quackery Prevention Act 1908 | |
| Status: Repealed | |
The Tohunga Suppression Act 1907 was an Act of the New Zealand Parliament aimed at replacing tohunga as traditional Māori healers with "modern" medicine.
It was introduced by James Carroll who expressed "impatience with what he considered regressive Maori attitudes". Officials had been concerned for years about the sometimes dangerous practices of tohunga. Some have claimed that the Act was introduced to target Māori prophet, faith healer and land rights activist Rua Kenana, but it was never used against him.
The Act contained only four clauses, the first of which simply gave the short title. The second clause stated that "Every person who gathers Maoris around him by practising on their superstition or credulity, or who misleads or attempts to mislead any Maori by professing or pretending to possess supernatural powers in the treatment or cure of any disease, or in the foretelling of future events, or otherwise" was liable for prosecution. The first offence could be subject to a fine of up to 25 pounds or up to six months imprisonment. Subsequent offences could lead to a prison term of up to a year. However, no prosecution under the Act could be commenced without the consent of the Minister of Native Affairs.
The third section enabled the Governor of New Zealand to gazette regulations to enable the intention of the Act to be carried out. The fourth section repealed subsection 5 of section 16 of the Maori Councils Act, which allowed Maori Councils to license tohunga.
Parliament debated the Act. Members portrayed traditional practices in curing smallpox (and other introduced diseases) as ineffectual and sometimes dangerous. This led to characterisations of some tohunga as "charlatans" exploiting their fellow Māori.
Āpirana Ngata supported the Bill, though he said that current tohunga were a bastardized version of the traditional healer. Speakers in favour of the Act referred to "Second-class Tohunga", who did not possess traditional knowledge or authority and just preyed on the superstition of local people. He pointed out that tohunga provided the only medical care available in many districts, and said that the Government would never be able to suppress tohunga unless they could provide a substitute. Hone Heke Ngapua, member of Parliament and great- nephew of the famous Hone Heke, thought that the Bill went in the right direction, but did not go far enough as there was no provision for prosecution of Pākehā tohunga or ‘quacks’ (this omission was addressed by the 1908 Quackery Prevention Act).
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