Maui Pomare

Sir Maui Wiremu Pita Naera Pomare, KBE, CMG (1875 or 1876–1930) was a New Zealand doctor and politician, being counted among the more prominent Māori political figures. He is particularly known for his efforts to improve Māori health and living conditions.

Early life
The date of Pomare's birth is unclear&mdash;school records give 24 August 1875 but other sources give 13 January 1876. He was born at a pa near Urenui in Taranaki. His father, Wiremu Naera Pomare, was of Ngāti Mutunga descent and his mother, Mere Hautonga Nicoll, was of Ngāti Toa descent. His maternal grandmother, Kahe Te Rau-o-te-rangi, had been a signatory of the Treaty of Waitangi. Both of his parents died before he reached adulthood, leaving him in the guardianship of his aunt.

Education
Pomare attended Christchurch Boys' High School and then Te Aute College. Although his family wanted him to study law Pomare decided to become a doctor and, in 1895, he began study at a Seventh-day Adventist Church medical college at Battle Creek in the US state of Michigan. He remained in the United States until 1900 and travelled extensively.

Department of Health
At the time of Pomare's return to New Zealand there was considerable concern about public health, with the quality of housing and sanitation being a major political issue. The problem was particularly pressing in Māori communities and Pomare, as one of a small number of trained Māori doctors, was selected to serve as Māori Health Officer in the Department of Health. In this role he undertook a number of major campaigns to improve Māori health and met with considerable success. Pomare was highly active in the everyday work of his office, often walking to remote villages to give public speeches. His frequent lectures on health matters gave him considerable skill in oratory.

In contrast to some of his friends, notably Apirana Ngata, Pomare was not particularly concerned about the loss of Māori cultural identity. While Pomare and Ngata agreed on the need to modernise Māori living conditions, Pomare did not share Ngata's drive to preserve and protect traditional Māori culture and arts&mdash;instead Pomare believed that, eventually, Pākehā and Māori would merge to form a single culture incorporating the best aspects of both (a common ideal of his iwi).

Parliament
In the 1911 election Pomare stood for Parliament in the Western Māori seat that covered Taranaki and the Waikato. Aided by support from the "Māori King", Mahuta Tawhiao, he was successful, displacing the incumbent Henare Kaihau. He was aligned with the new Reform Party that had won the largest number of seats. When the party formed a government Pomare was appointed to Cabinet as a minister without portfolio, a largely symbolic position. Pomare was quite popular with his party&mdash;in part this is likely because he did not promote an independent Māori cultural identity and that fitted well with the Reform Party's generally conservative views. (Meanwhile, Pomare's old friend, Apirana Ngata, was serving as an MP for the opposition Liberal Party.)

During World War I Pomare and Ngata joined forces to encourage Māori to join the armed forces. Pomare and Ngata both believed that by participating strongly in the war and fighting to defend the country, Māori would demonstrate to Pākehā that they were full citizens. Pomare angered many of his constituents, however, by eventually accepting conscription of Maori.

Ministerial career
In 1916, Pomare was given ministerial responsibility for the Cook Islands, then a New Zealand territory. He lobbied strongly for more funding to be given to the islands and was responsible for considerable infrastructural improvement. He opposed, however, the idea of self-governance for the islands, saying that they were not yet ready for it. On a number of occasions he overrode laws passed by the islands' own council, causing a certain amount of complaint. On the whole, however, he was well-regarded in the Cook Islands, being presented with a silver cup at the end of his service.

Later, in 1923, Pomare was appointed Minister of Health, his highest office. Due to economic problems the Health Department's budget was low, making it difficult for Pomare to effect any important reforms. Nevertheless, he managed to make gains in some areas, particularly maternity care and equipment sterilisation.

Later life
In 1928 Pomare contracted tuberculosis. In the 1928 election Apirana Ngata conducted Pomare's campaign on his behalf, despite belonging to the opposition party. Pomare was re-elected. Later Pomare traveled to California in the hope that the climate would be good for his health. He died in Los Angeles on 27 June 1930.