Privilege in Perpetuity: Exploding a Pākehā Myth

by Peter Meihana

'The idea of Māori privilege continues to be deployed in order to constrain Māori aspirations and maintain the power imbalance that colonisation achieved in the nineteenth century.'

The ‘idea of Māori privilege’, as Peter Meihana describes it, is deeply embedded in New Zealand culture. Many New Zealanders hold firm to the belief that Māori have been treated better than other indigenous peoples, and that they receive benefits that other New Zealanders do not. Some argue that the supposed privileges that Māori receive are a direct attack on the foundations of the nation.

Privilege in Perpetuity charts the eighteenth-century origins of this idea, tracing its development over time, and assesses what impact this notion of privilege has had on Māori communities. Central to this history is the paradox, explored by Meihana, of how Māori were rendered landless and politically marginalised, yet at the same time were somehow still considered privileged. The idea of privilege is revealed as central to colonisation in New Zealand and the dispossession and marginalisation of Māori – and as a stubbornly persistent prejudice that remains in place today.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

120 pages, Paperback

Published March 1, 2023

Reviews

[Anne Herbison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember my shock hearing a woman complaining about the advantages Australian aboriginals enjoyed while whites 'missed out'. How could she see it that way? I wondered. The same complaints are made about Maori 'privilege', particularly about 'concessions' around the Treaty of Waitangi. The author of this book, using precise and detailed academic polemic, dissects and disproves the foundations of these complaints. It is chilling to read how every move to secure justice or, at least fairness, was - and still is - turned to Pākehā advantage.

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

The title doesn't quite capture what this book is about. It's a useful, succinct account of how the British took over Maori land, and generally oppressed Maori following the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in NZ. In doing so, Meihana does debunk the myth that Maori were somehow privileged or benefited from colonisation.

[Nick · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very concise thoroughly researched history of the colonisation of NZ from a Maori perspective. It exposes all the double dealing and sleight of hand of the governing parties and land developers since the signing of the treaty and earlier to divest Maori of their land.
A short but very readable book

[Bree Stevens · Rating 2 out of 5]

A well researched exploration of colonialism, its impact on Māori identity and the perceived Pākehā myth of Māori having more privilege. I rated it a two as it felt too rooted in historical reasoning, while very important for context, I would’ve liked a contemporary tie in of how this myth exists today and the reality for Māori as a result.

[Wendy Jackson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another interesting BWB read, though slightly academic given its start as a thesis. The content is particularly relevant given the upcoming election and the invariable roll-out of false and racist 'privilege' tropes from the usual suspects.