"The post-1945 migration to the cities by Maori transformed Aotearoa New Zealand forever. Before the Second World War 90% of Maori lived in rural tribal communities; by the mid-1970s almost 80% lived in the cities--perhaps the fastest movement of any population from traditional homelands to the cities. Economic opportunity improved the lot of many but created huge disruption and challenges, making this a story of expectation, need, loss, isolation and revival. Exploring what being Maori means today, Urban Maori looks back to the experience of the first migrants, and traces the course of urbanisation over succeeding years. The opening chapter introduces the reader to the facts of Maori internal migration, pan-tribalism and adaptation in the modern world. Each subsequent chapter loosely follows a decade from 1940 to 2010, recounting key events and experiences of those periods that were influenced by factors such as urbanisation, assimilation and later retribalisation. Specific chapters describe crucial developments that arose out of urbanisation--such as Maori trade-training courses, Maori collectives like the Maori Womens Welfare League, the Urban Maori Authorities and urban marae. This narrative flow stretches overseas to Maori in Australia, and also investigates the phenomenon of urban families returning home to reconnect with their tribal roots.

Woven through the historical account are profiles of individuals and whanau, recounting their migration journeys to the cities since World War II and their diverse experiences of urban life. Urban Maori thereby balances its grounding in the wealth of academic research on Maori urbanisation with new insights into the realities of urban Maori lives, and explores the idea of cultural adaptability in this new environment through the eyes of those who have lived in the experience."--Front flap.