| Tohunga Suppression Act 1907 | |
|---|---|
Parliament of New Zealand |
|
| Long title/ Purpose |
An Act to suppress Tohungas |
| Introduced by | James Carroll |
| Dates | |
| Date passed | 1907 |
| Date of Royal Assent | 24 September 1907 |
| Commencement | Immediate |
| Other legislation | |
| 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| Status: Repealed | |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 to replace tohunga as traditional Māori healers with "modern" medicine.
It was introduced by James Carroll, with Māori prophet, faith healer and land rights activist Rua Kenana a specific target, but was never used against him and was repealed in 1962.[1]
Contents |
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 The fourth section repealed subsection 5 of section 16 of the Maori Councils Act, which allowed Maori Councils to license tohunga.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 with the argument "directed primarily at Rua Kenana", also argued that the traditional practices in curing smallpox (and other introduced diseases) being ineffectual and sometimes dangerous. This led to claims that some Tohunga as being "bogus, ...exploiting their fellow Māori". Carroll had "impatience with what he considered regressive Māori attitudes".
Tohunga were the holders of knowledge of most rites, and knowledge in general in wānanga. This included health matters. Many Tohunga declined to pass on their oral traditions leaving Māori bereft of much of their traditional base. Whatever the overt intentions, there was a paradigm of the time amongst English colonists that Māori were a "lost race", the effect of banning the practices of spiritual and cultural leaders was that it hastened the assimilation of Māori.
The Act was repealed in 1962.[2]