Eva Rickard
Encyclopedia
Eva Rickard rose to prominence as an activist
for Māori land rights activist and for women’s rights
within Māoridom. Her methods included public civil disobedience
and she is best known for leading the occupation of Raglan golf course in the 1970s.
campaigns to have ancestral lands alongside Raglan harbour returned to the local tribes, and to have Māori mana
and culture recognized. During the Second World War, the New Zealand Government took land from indigenous
Māori owners by acquisition for the purpose of a military airfield
. Instead of these being handed back to its former owners (the Tainui
Awhiro peoples) when no longer required for defence purposes, part of the land, a 62 acres (250,905.3 m²) block was turned into a public Raglan golf course in 1969.
Throughout the 1970s Rickard tirelessly campaigned to raise public awareness about Māori land rights
. After attempting to reoccupy this ancestral indigenous
land in 1978 she was arrested for trespass
along with another 19 Māori protesters, on the ninth hole of the Raglan golf course. This incident was captured by New Zealand television and was a defining moment in her public life. Their court appearance set off a chain of events which trailed through the courts amidst bitter argument at local and national level, but finally led to the return of the land. After the land was returned it became a focus for local job-training and employment programs, as well as a focus for the Māori sovereignty movement
.
The Mana Māori Movement
was the largest wholly Māori political party, founded by Rickard, and contested the New Zealand general election, 2002
. Mana Māori incorporated the smaller Te Tawharau
and Piri Wiri Tua
parties. Rickard was originally a member of Mana Motuhake
, another Māori party, but quit when Mana Motuhake joined the Alliance
(a broad left-wing coalition).
Rickard was an ardent advocate for women’s rights within Māoridom itself and encouraged other female activists to ignore traditional Māori protocol by calling for the rights for Māori women to speak at official Māori gatherings, including on the Marae
. At her official Tangi
where she was interred on the land she had spent a decade fighting to have returned to her people, Māori activist Annette Sykes
when attempting to speak, had to endure cries of “you sit down, you have no right to speak.” Here Annette Sykes stood up and publicly challenged men to recognise the Mana of Māori women.
Activism
Activism consists of intentional efforts to bring about social, political, economic, or environmental change. Activism can take a wide range of forms from writing letters to newspapers or politicians, political campaigning, economic activism such as boycotts or preferentially patronizing...
for Māori land rights activist and for women’s rights
Women's rights
Women's rights are entitlements and freedoms claimed for women and girls of all ages in many societies.In some places these rights are institutionalized or supported by law, local custom, and behaviour, whereas in others they may be ignored or suppressed...
within Māoridom. Her methods included public civil disobedience
Civil disobedience
Civil disobedience is the active, professed refusal to obey certain laws, demands, and commands of a government, or of an occupying international power. Civil disobedience is commonly, though not always, defined as being nonviolent resistance. It is one form of civil resistance...
and she is best known for leading the occupation of Raglan golf course in the 1970s.
Biography
Eva Rickard (born Eva Kereopa) was most notably regarded for her decade long, very public civil disobedienceCivil disobedience
Civil disobedience is the active, professed refusal to obey certain laws, demands, and commands of a government, or of an occupying international power. Civil disobedience is commonly, though not always, defined as being nonviolent resistance. It is one form of civil resistance...
campaigns to have ancestral lands alongside Raglan harbour returned to the local tribes, and to have Māori mana
Mana
Mana is an indigenous Pacific islander concept of an impersonal force or quality that resides in people, animals, and inanimate objects. The word is a cognate in many Oceanic languages, including Melanesian, Polynesian, and Micronesian....
and culture recognized. During the Second World War, the New Zealand Government took land from indigenous
Indigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples are ethnic groups that are defined as indigenous according to one of the various definitions of the term, there is no universally accepted definition but most of which carry connotations of being the "original inhabitants" of a territory....
Māori owners by acquisition for the purpose of a military airfield
Aerodrome
An aerodrome, airdrome or airfield is a term for any location from which aircraft flight operations take place, regardless of whether they involve cargo, passengers or neither...
. Instead of these being handed back to its former owners (the Tainui
Tainui
Tainui is a tribal waka confederation of New Zealand Māori iwi. The Tainui confederation comprises four principal related Māori iwi of the central North Island of New Zealand: Hauraki, Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Raukawa and Waikato...
Awhiro peoples) when no longer required for defence purposes, part of the land, a 62 acres (250,905.3 m²) block was turned into a public Raglan golf course in 1969.
Throughout the 1970s Rickard tirelessly campaigned to raise public awareness about Māori land rights
Land rights
Land law is the form of law that deals with the rights to use, alienate, or exclude others from land. In many jurisdictions, these species of property are referred to as real estate or real property, as distinct from personal property. Land use agreements, including renting, are an important...
. After attempting to reoccupy this ancestral indigenous
Indigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples are ethnic groups that are defined as indigenous according to one of the various definitions of the term, there is no universally accepted definition but most of which carry connotations of being the "original inhabitants" of a territory....
land in 1978 she was arrested for trespass
Trespass
Trespass is an area of tort law broadly divided into three groups: trespass to the person, trespass to chattels and trespass to land.Trespass to the person, historically involved six separate trespasses: threats, assault, battery, wounding, mayhem, and maiming...
along with another 19 Māori protesters, on the ninth hole of the Raglan golf course. This incident was captured by New Zealand television and was a defining moment in her public life. Their court appearance set off a chain of events which trailed through the courts amidst bitter argument at local and national level, but finally led to the return of the land. After the land was returned it became a focus for local job-training and employment programs, as well as a focus for the Māori sovereignty movement
Maori protest movement
The Māori protest movement is a broad indigenous rights movement in New Zealand. While this movement has existed since Europeans first colonised New Zealand its modern form emerged in the early 1970s and has focused on issues such as the Treaty of Waitangi, Māori land rights, the Māori language and...
.
The Mana Māori Movement
Mana Maori Movement
The Mana Māori Movement was a New Zealand political party. It advocated on behalf of the Māori people. It was founded by Eva Rickard, a prominent Māori activist. Rickard was originally a member of Mana Motuhake, another Māori party, but quit when Mana Motuhake joined the Alliance...
was the largest wholly Māori political party, founded by Rickard, and contested the New Zealand general election, 2002
New Zealand general election, 2002
The 2002 New Zealand general election was held on 27 July 2002 to determine the composition of the 47th New Zealand Parliament. It saw the reelection of Helen Clark's Labour Party government, as well as the worst-ever performance by the opposition National Party.Arguably the most controversial...
. Mana Māori incorporated the smaller Te Tawharau
Te Tawharau
Te Tawharau was a Māori political party in New Zealand.Te Tawharau briefly had representation in Parliament when Tuariki Delamere, a former New Zealand First MP, transferred his loyalty to it. In the 1999 elections, Te Tawharau contested electorates under its own banner, but contested the party...
and Piri Wiri Tua
Piri Wiri Tua Movement
Piri Wiri Tua Movement is a Māori political party in New Zealand and is based around the Ratana movement. The name "Piri Wiri Tua" was sometimes used by the religion's founder, Tahupotiki Wiremu Ratana, and means The Campaigner...
parties. Rickard was originally a member of Mana Motuhake
Mana Motuhake
Mana Māori Motuhake was a Māori political party in New Zealand. The name is difficult to translate accurately, but essentially refers to Māori self-rule and self-determination — mana, in this context, can be understood as "authority" or "power", while motuhake can be understood as...
, another Māori party, but quit when Mana Motuhake joined the Alliance
Alliance (New Zealand political party)
The Alliance is a left-wing political party in New Zealand. It was formed in 1991, and was influential in the 1990s, but has since declined and has no representation in parliament. It suffered a major setback after Jim Anderton, the party's leader, left the party in 2002, taking several of the...
(a broad left-wing coalition).
Rickard was an ardent advocate for women’s rights within Māoridom itself and encouraged other female activists to ignore traditional Māori protocol by calling for the rights for Māori women to speak at official Māori gatherings, including on the Marae
Marae
A marae malae , malae , is a communal or sacred place which serves religious and social purposes in Polynesian societies...
. At her official Tangi
Tangihanga
Tangihanga, or more commonly, Tangi, is a Māori funeral rite.Each iwi differs on how they honour those who pass. Tangihanga generally take three days with burial on the third day. From the moment of death, the tūpāpaku is rarely alone. The tūpāpaku is transported to the marae...
where she was interred on the land she had spent a decade fighting to have returned to her people, Māori activist Annette Sykes
Annette Sykes
Annette Te Imaima Sykes is a Rotorua activist and lawyer who fights for the rights of Māori tribes to be self-governing.-Biography:Sykes is of Ngāti Pikiao and Ngāti Makino descent, two of the confederated tribes of Te Arawa waka....
when attempting to speak, had to endure cries of “you sit down, you have no right to speak.” Here Annette Sykes stood up and publicly challenged men to recognise the Mana of Māori women.