Buck, Sir Peter (1880-1951), was a Māori leader and anthropologist. From 1908 to 1914, he was a member of the New Zealand Parliament. In 1912, he became minister of Māori affairs.
Buck was born on Dec. 15, 1880, in northern Taranaki and named Te Rangi Hīroa. He was educated at the University of Otago, where he studied medicine and chemistry. During World War I (1914-1918), he was a medical officer with the first Māori contingent. In 1927, he became an anthropologist at the Bishop Museum in Honolulu, Hawaii. Peter Buck was knighted in 1946. He died on Dec. 1, 1951.
