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Imagining Decolonisation
Decolonisation is a term that alarms some, and gives hope to others. It is an uncomfortable and often bewildering concept for many New Zealanders.
This book seeks to demystify decolonisation using illuminating, real-life examples. By exploring the impact of colonisation on Māori and non-Māori alike, Imagining Decolonisation presents a transformative vision of a country that is fairer for all.
What are BWB Texts?
BWB Texts are short books on big subjects by great New Zealand writers. Spanning contemporary issues, history and memoir, new BWB Texts are released regularly, and the series now amounts to well over fifty works.
All recently published BWB Texts can be purchased in print and digital formats using the ‘Buy’ or ‘Preorder’ buttons on this page. You can also subscribe to the series – a great gift idea! Find more information about subscription offers here.
For guidance on these purchase options please visit our Sales FAQs page or email us.
Contributors
Rebecca Kiddle, Bianca Elkington, Moana Jackson, Ocean Ripeka Mercier, Mike Ross, Jennie Smeaton and Amanda Thomas.
This book seeks to demystify decolonisation using illuminating, real-life examples. By exploring the impact of colonisation on Māori and non-Māori alike, Imagining Decolonisation presents a transformative vision of a country that is fairer for all.
What are BWB Texts?
BWB Texts are short books on big subjects by great New Zealand writers. Spanning contemporary issues, history and memoir, new BWB Texts are released regularly, and the series now amounts to well over fifty works.
All recently published BWB Texts can be purchased in print and digital formats using the ‘Buy’ or ‘Preorder’ buttons on this page. You can also subscribe to the series – a great gift idea! Find more information about subscription offers here.
For guidance on these purchase options please visit our Sales FAQs page or email us.
Contributors
Rebecca Kiddle, Bianca Elkington, Moana Jackson, Ocean Ripeka Mercier, Mike Ross, Jennie Smeaton and Amanda Thomas.
184 pages, Paperback
Published March 9, 2020
80 people are currently reading
967 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews
April 6, 2021
Reading this book should be mandatory.
Imagining decolonisation is an excellent collection of essays outlining the ways in which individuals and communities can work towards the same goal and mahi tūhono.
The chapter on Pākehā and what we can do to work towards decolonisation was especially powerful to me as a non-Māori. The chapter discusses what we can do to builder a better society. I often struggle with older generations and in particular having conversations about Māori issues with my grandparents. I react harshly and can come across to as disrespectful to my elders. Ultimately I want to help them view things from a different perspective and change their behaviour (such as pronounce names correctly). The chapter offers constructive answers to common statements that normally make me “snap” - it’s important to call out certain behaviour but I can be more gentle about it.
Imagining decolonisation is an excellent collection of essays outlining the ways in which individuals and communities can work towards the same goal and mahi tūhono.
The chapter on Pākehā and what we can do to work towards decolonisation was especially powerful to me as a non-Māori. The chapter discusses what we can do to builder a better society. I often struggle with older generations and in particular having conversations about Māori issues with my grandparents. I react harshly and can come across to as disrespectful to my elders. Ultimately I want to help them view things from a different perspective and change their behaviour (such as pronounce names correctly). The chapter offers constructive answers to common statements that normally make me “snap” - it’s important to call out certain behaviour but I can be more gentle about it.
April 6, 2022
I read this again when I heard the news of Matua Moana Jackson passing. Like the first time I read it I am awed by his, and his peers, wisdom - and unshakable belief in our people, tangata whenua. Matua Moana’s works and speeches were a gift he gave his whole life, layered with incredible wit and sharp intellect.
Artist Linda Munn was one of the three creators of the Tino Rangatiratanga flag and she once said “When you’re born indigenous, you’re born in service for your people.” Like Matua did, I can think of no greater privilege than to serve my people - his writing will, for the rest of my life, remind me of this.
Artist Linda Munn was one of the three creators of the Tino Rangatiratanga flag and she once said “When you’re born indigenous, you’re born in service for your people.” Like Matua did, I can think of no greater privilege than to serve my people - his writing will, for the rest of my life, remind me of this.
April 8, 2023
just so so good - if u live in Aotearoa u absolutely must read this. The clarity, the conviction, the wholehearted hope! Imagining Decolonisation draws a clear and invigorating path towards transformation.
March 18, 2021
A succinct but vivid bite into an ocean of pain and unease in our nation. I would consider this a must-read primer for anyone that has vague dismembered thoughts about the active process of colonization in New Zealand, or anyone who can be convinced to consider these topics.
January 22, 2023
This should be compulsory reading for anyone living in Aotearoa
October 31, 2022
"But what does land back actually mean",
a friend of mine asked across the dinner table one evening during the height of the Ihumaatao protests in 2019. Another followed soon after - "so what's the end goal of decolonisation? Like what does it actually look like" The questions were genuine but were met with a somewhat uncomfortable silence by this small group of Pākehā - clearly we supported this protest and its kaupapa, but did we really share, or even understand, its vision?
Imagining decolonisation is a book that, firstly, acknowledges that colonisation in Aotearoa is messy - meaning these questions are both genuine and incredibly challenging. There is no "right answer" to colonisation, but there are plenty of wrong ones. Yet change requires us to tackle these questions head on and this book does a fabulous job of introducing readers to the discussion.
Two particular gems for me. One was the discussion around Pākehā intergenerational trauma ("colonialism sucks for everyone") and its pondering on the role of whakapapa in healing this wound. The other was Moana Jackson's word-painting of a 21st century Aotearoa political system founded on the tikanga and kawa of the marae - with whakapapa, manaakitanga and mahi tūhono working together to honour a promise made long ago in 1840.
a friend of mine asked across the dinner table one evening during the height of the Ihumaatao protests in 2019. Another followed soon after - "so what's the end goal of decolonisation? Like what does it actually look like" The questions were genuine but were met with a somewhat uncomfortable silence by this small group of Pākehā - clearly we supported this protest and its kaupapa, but did we really share, or even understand, its vision?
Imagining decolonisation is a book that, firstly, acknowledges that colonisation in Aotearoa is messy - meaning these questions are both genuine and incredibly challenging. There is no "right answer" to colonisation, but there are plenty of wrong ones. Yet change requires us to tackle these questions head on and this book does a fabulous job of introducing readers to the discussion.
Two particular gems for me. One was the discussion around Pākehā intergenerational trauma ("colonialism sucks for everyone") and its pondering on the role of whakapapa in healing this wound. The other was Moana Jackson's word-painting of a 21st century Aotearoa political system founded on the tikanga and kawa of the marae - with whakapapa, manaakitanga and mahi tūhono working together to honour a promise made long ago in 1840.
"It's our watch now
The time to make dreams come true
Today is a good day to begin..."
June 18, 2023
A succinct, easy to follow & hopeful intro to the complex idea of decolonisation. I especially liked how each of the writers weaved their own real-life examples & stories into their essays. A lot of food for thought.
February 20, 2025
Let’s do it
August 21, 2022
When I first arrived to New Zealand in 2008, I was struck by how, well, COLONIAL it was. Why were children in the South Pacific wearing blazers and knee socks to school? Why were all the road signs and government documentation exclusively in English, given te reo Māori was also apparently an official language? Why were so people gaga about the British Royal Family? Was this 21st century New Zealand or had I time-warped my way back to a version of 1950s England that possibly only ever existed in the imagination of John Major?
A few years later, when taking some postgraduate public health papers, I learned that yes, New Zealand was very colonial and yes, colonialism (to say nothing of neoliberalism) had been Very Bad News Indeed for the Māori population. No matter what social determinant of health we looked at (housing, employment, income level, education), Māori got a raw deal and this was reflected in health, economic and other outcomes.
So New Zealand absolutely needs an interrogation of and action plan out of its colonial past. Imagining Decolonisation attempts to do so by applying critical paradigms and theorists from postcolonialism to a New Zealand context. Other fields such as Irish Studies have also used the work of people like Ngugi wa Thiong’o and Frantz Fanon to re-situate and examine Irish political and cultural history: what was novel in this text was the introduction of te ao Māori to examine the New Zealand context.
However, though a bold undertaking, the text had some shortcomings. For example, it needed to provide a stronger definition of indigeneity given so much of the argument hinges on Māori’s position as indigenous peoples. What is indigeneity? Is it simply ‘we’ve been here for a long time’? Or ‘we got here first’? Because in the Irish context, we could say that Unionist communities in Northern Ireland have been there for a long time (since the Ulster Plantations of the 1600s), and they certainly feel a particular connection to place and have strong cultural traditions linked to these (their triumphalist 12th of July parades along certain fixed routes, for example). Does that make them indigenous? Equally, how does indigeneity play out with successive waves of settlement and cultural influence? What about the Normans who arrived to Ireland in the 12th century? Are they indigenous? Or the Vikings who were there before them? Or the monks who were there before the Vikings?
Similarly, the chapter about why colonialism ‘sucks’ for everyone did not in fact explain why colonialism and attendant social inequity is bad for the dominant culture, apart from some woolly speculation about possible cultural dislocation caused by leaving one’s homeland. A better engagement with this topic is a text like The Spirit Level which provides empirical evidence that an unequal society has worse outcomes for everyone, not just the ‘has nots’ (think higher crime rates, lower overall life expectancy, that sort of thing).
The text was also very binary (essentialist, really) in its division of Māori or Pākehā. While it is absolutely the case that the Treaty of Waitangi establishes New Zealand as a bicultural nation, signed it was between the rangitira and the British crown, this neither reflects current cultural reality or the future of New Zealand. For example, in the 2018 Census, 15% of population identified as Asian and is this is predicted to grow to 25% by 2043. While history is not over for those who didn’t get to tell their story the first time around, so it is absolutely important to retrace ‘how we got here’, any manifesto for change also needs to take account of current reality if it wants to take us into the future.
A few years later, when taking some postgraduate public health papers, I learned that yes, New Zealand was very colonial and yes, colonialism (to say nothing of neoliberalism) had been Very Bad News Indeed for the Māori population. No matter what social determinant of health we looked at (housing, employment, income level, education), Māori got a raw deal and this was reflected in health, economic and other outcomes.
So New Zealand absolutely needs an interrogation of and action plan out of its colonial past. Imagining Decolonisation attempts to do so by applying critical paradigms and theorists from postcolonialism to a New Zealand context. Other fields such as Irish Studies have also used the work of people like Ngugi wa Thiong’o and Frantz Fanon to re-situate and examine Irish political and cultural history: what was novel in this text was the introduction of te ao Māori to examine the New Zealand context.
However, though a bold undertaking, the text had some shortcomings. For example, it needed to provide a stronger definition of indigeneity given so much of the argument hinges on Māori’s position as indigenous peoples. What is indigeneity? Is it simply ‘we’ve been here for a long time’? Or ‘we got here first’? Because in the Irish context, we could say that Unionist communities in Northern Ireland have been there for a long time (since the Ulster Plantations of the 1600s), and they certainly feel a particular connection to place and have strong cultural traditions linked to these (their triumphalist 12th of July parades along certain fixed routes, for example). Does that make them indigenous? Equally, how does indigeneity play out with successive waves of settlement and cultural influence? What about the Normans who arrived to Ireland in the 12th century? Are they indigenous? Or the Vikings who were there before them? Or the monks who were there before the Vikings?
Similarly, the chapter about why colonialism ‘sucks’ for everyone did not in fact explain why colonialism and attendant social inequity is bad for the dominant culture, apart from some woolly speculation about possible cultural dislocation caused by leaving one’s homeland. A better engagement with this topic is a text like The Spirit Level which provides empirical evidence that an unequal society has worse outcomes for everyone, not just the ‘has nots’ (think higher crime rates, lower overall life expectancy, that sort of thing).
The text was also very binary (essentialist, really) in its division of Māori or Pākehā. While it is absolutely the case that the Treaty of Waitangi establishes New Zealand as a bicultural nation, signed it was between the rangitira and the British crown, this neither reflects current cultural reality or the future of New Zealand. For example, in the 2018 Census, 15% of population identified as Asian and is this is predicted to grow to 25% by 2043. While history is not over for those who didn’t get to tell their story the first time around, so it is absolutely important to retrace ‘how we got here’, any manifesto for change also needs to take account of current reality if it wants to take us into the future.
December 2, 2022
It’s not surprising that this collection has sold extremely well in New Zealand – it is a powerfully composed, elegantly balanced approach to doing and becoming decolonial that merges the conceptual with the practical. Part of the usefulness lies in the book’s genesis, in response to a lack of knowledge of what colonialism is, uncovered during a community education project exploring the decolonisation of urban spaces. This question of uncertainty and with it anxiety is woven through the essays that make up the book which as jointly authored rather than edited has a coherence that edited collections often lack.
The collection is held together in part through a regular invocation of Moana Jackson’s house metaphor laid out in Mike Ross’s opening essay, where if a colonial state is a house, there is not much change involved in repainting the walls (even with Indigenous motifs) as opposed to reshaping the foundations. This useful imagery also allows a series of DIY-type allusions and metaphors to weave their way through the discussion, ameliorating an all-too-common tendency in this kind of work to abstraction (mea culpa) or otherwise failing to speak well to the audience.
The focus on anxieties (without lapsing into forms of psychoanalysis) and the complexities of everyday existence allows the authors to rupture the simplicities of binary discussions. So for Rebecca Kiddle colonialism’s fundamental interweaving with capitalism as well as the not-quite-being-from-anywhere of settler status means colonialism is not a good thing for both Indigenous and settler even as some do very well out of it. This is an unsettling approach, but fundamental to the outlook that treats decolonisation as a common, or at least collective, good.
Mitigating Kiddle’s optimism however, Ocean Ripeka Mercier also reminds us of the many ways colonialism and with it coloniality appropriates the tendency to decolonise through such things as the colonisation of Indigeneity, or recolonization under the guise of some of the more surface or decorative forms of decolonial practice. It’s about attention to the foundations… Alongside this caution, Amanda Thomas’s being Pākehā doing the decolonial chapter reminds us of the danger of good intentions while also highlighting that these practices are both mundane and profound.
It might be the historian in me, but the chapter that really resonated is Moana Jackson’s discussion of story-telling, of the land, of the importance of voice, and the values that shape and underpin decolonial practice. This, for Jackson, turns on the importance of place, of tikanga (ways of doing and being), of community, of belonging, of balance, and of conciliation (note, this is not the reconciliation that we often hear of, but something that has not been there before). He also returns to the house metaphor, noting that “History became a kind of rebranding in which colonisation is not seen as a violent home invasion but a grand if sometimes flawed adventure…. so the new stories never found an easy place in this land”. (p 145) The chapter also reminded of what we lost with Jackson’s recent passing.
It may be New Zealand focused, but the openness and accessibility of the text gives it resonance well beyond that small corner of the South-West Pacific. It deserves a wide readership, and should both inspire action and advance the cause of practical decolonisation. A superb and vital collection.
The collection is held together in part through a regular invocation of Moana Jackson’s house metaphor laid out in Mike Ross’s opening essay, where if a colonial state is a house, there is not much change involved in repainting the walls (even with Indigenous motifs) as opposed to reshaping the foundations. This useful imagery also allows a series of DIY-type allusions and metaphors to weave their way through the discussion, ameliorating an all-too-common tendency in this kind of work to abstraction (mea culpa) or otherwise failing to speak well to the audience.
The focus on anxieties (without lapsing into forms of psychoanalysis) and the complexities of everyday existence allows the authors to rupture the simplicities of binary discussions. So for Rebecca Kiddle colonialism’s fundamental interweaving with capitalism as well as the not-quite-being-from-anywhere of settler status means colonialism is not a good thing for both Indigenous and settler even as some do very well out of it. This is an unsettling approach, but fundamental to the outlook that treats decolonisation as a common, or at least collective, good.
Mitigating Kiddle’s optimism however, Ocean Ripeka Mercier also reminds us of the many ways colonialism and with it coloniality appropriates the tendency to decolonise through such things as the colonisation of Indigeneity, or recolonization under the guise of some of the more surface or decorative forms of decolonial practice. It’s about attention to the foundations… Alongside this caution, Amanda Thomas’s being Pākehā doing the decolonial chapter reminds us of the danger of good intentions while also highlighting that these practices are both mundane and profound.
It might be the historian in me, but the chapter that really resonated is Moana Jackson’s discussion of story-telling, of the land, of the importance of voice, and the values that shape and underpin decolonial practice. This, for Jackson, turns on the importance of place, of tikanga (ways of doing and being), of community, of belonging, of balance, and of conciliation (note, this is not the reconciliation that we often hear of, but something that has not been there before). He also returns to the house metaphor, noting that “History became a kind of rebranding in which colonisation is not seen as a violent home invasion but a grand if sometimes flawed adventure…. so the new stories never found an easy place in this land”. (p 145) The chapter also reminded of what we lost with Jackson’s recent passing.
It may be New Zealand focused, but the openness and accessibility of the text gives it resonance well beyond that small corner of the South-West Pacific. It deserves a wide readership, and should both inspire action and advance the cause of practical decolonisation. A superb and vital collection.
January 29, 2023
This book is short, easy to read, and a great starter/introduction into decolonial thought within Aotearoa. Must read for Pākehā, or really anyone in nz.
The book not only looks at the history of colonisation in Aotearoa, how it’s teaching has been dumbed down, lied about, or simply forgotten in the settler consciousness.
But the book also looks to the present and future and presents a vision of what decolonisation can look like. Something which hard to picture for me personally coming from a Pākehā background.
+ chapters 3-4 were my favourite discussing Pākehā identity and questions regarding belonging, guilt and cultural invisibility.
Conclusion: Read it plz :)
The book not only looks at the history of colonisation in Aotearoa, how it’s teaching has been dumbed down, lied about, or simply forgotten in the settler consciousness.
But the book also looks to the present and future and presents a vision of what decolonisation can look like. Something which hard to picture for me personally coming from a Pākehā background.
+ chapters 3-4 were my favourite discussing Pākehā identity and questions regarding belonging, guilt and cultural invisibility.
Conclusion: Read it plz :)
August 27, 2020
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ for being an easy to read book about decolonising. Smart contributions from many well known academics. Good description of colonisation and decolonisation as processes continuously operating. Would have got five stars if it were less theoretical and more practical. I really loved the examples when it did get practical.
The amount that is spent on treaty settlements in 25 years is the same as what the government spends in just two months on superannuation. Pg 121 - Imagining Decolonisation
The amount that is spent on treaty settlements in 25 years is the same as what the government spends in just two months on superannuation. Pg 121 - Imagining Decolonisation
February 11, 2021
five essays about decolonisation in Aotearoa. I found them interesting but found few new insights. Specifically, there were no ideas on what someone arriving in the country could do to support decolonisation other than learn Te Reo Māori and Te Ao Māori. Most of the actions were for tangata whenua, or for pākehā to take responsibility for the actions of their ancestors.
September 9, 2020
Brilliant! Thank you to the authors for guiding me on the first part of my de-colonisation journey.
April 14, 2022
Colonisation is a really uncomfortable concept for New Zealanders. It is something that will take courage and wisdom to change. This book seeks to demystify the concept of decolonisation using really simple language and real-life examples. I really enjoyed reading this book and the way it broke down complex arguments and allowed me to understand them and also have a strategy and tools to have uncomfortable conversations with people about colonisation. If you are a New Zealander or want to come here, then it is definitely worth a read.
"Nations and people are largely the stories they feed themselves. If they tell themselves stories that are lies, they will suffer the future consequences of those lies. If they tell themselves stories that face their own truths, they will free their histories for future flowerings." - Wiremu Tāmihana
"Nations and people are largely the stories they feed themselves. If they tell themselves stories that are lies, they will suffer the future consequences of those lies. If they tell themselves stories that face their own truths, they will free their histories for future flowerings." - Wiremu Tāmihana
June 11, 2024
Let me start with the statement that I wholly agree with all of the concepts in this book. Absolutely.
Sometimes, it's a little dry and academic, which is to be expected because it's written BY academics. Mostly though, it's approachable, easy to follow and laid out well. And then the final chapter is written by the late Moana Jackson, and it becomes pure poetry. My goodness that man had a gift with words. I'll end with the most gorgeous quote from the book...
"courage is simply the deep breath you take before a new beginning." Moana Jackson
Sometimes, it's a little dry and academic, which is to be expected because it's written BY academics. Mostly though, it's approachable, easy to follow and laid out well. And then the final chapter is written by the late Moana Jackson, and it becomes pure poetry. My goodness that man had a gift with words. I'll end with the most gorgeous quote from the book...
"courage is simply the deep breath you take before a new beginning." Moana Jackson
April 23, 2021
Should be required reading for anyone in Aotearoa NZ, and it would be helpful and thought-provoking for anyone interested in decolonisation and associated issues. Each chapter is full of insights and observations that pack a punch. I think chapter 3 by Rebecca Kiddle on how colonisation sucks for everyone was particularly affecting for me - making me reflect deeply on my own identity as a descendant of settlers/colonists, but also as a migrant. I'll be going on about this book for a while, and gifting it often.
January 5, 2022
A must-read for anyone who calls Aotearoa home. The only reason I didn’t give it 5 stars is because some parts (particularly chapter 2) were quite academic and theoretical as other reviewers have mentioned. I found this content a little dense and harder to follow than the rest of the book. This won’t stop me recommending the book to others. Some of these stories will stay with me forever.
October 8, 2025
Excellent explanations of why colonisation is bad, the many ways in which it's ongoing, why it's made white people the way that they are, and that it sucks for everyone actually. Really helped me organise my thoughts around things that I understand but wasn't sure how to articulate. (Note you will struggle to read this without some basic Te Reo vocab.)
July 21, 2023
this book should be compulsory everywhere. not quite the crash course encyclopaedic guide i thought it would be but some fascinating frameworks and really provoking sections, definitely a great resource to start delving deeper into post-colonial theory etc. i need to go back through with a highlighter and a pen so i can write down all my thoughts, i will definitely be rereading this. 3.5 💗💗
December 23, 2025
Full of helpful framing. We're not combating the "effects of colonisation" - we're combating colonisation.
I didn't generally dive into the footnotes but it seems like there would be much more richness there too.
I didn't generally dive into the footnotes but it seems like there would be much more richness there too.
February 13, 2021
i hope to convince most of my friends and family to read this as it’s digestible and ties together a lot of pre-work one may have already done on “decolonising” in their own mind into something tangible and coherent rather than fleeting thoughts of including te reo in a work email or feeling that maori scholarships are just but not diving further into the cause of that just.
March 12, 2023
Brilliant. Why did it take me so long to read this?
December 24, 2024
Was a good book. Really opened my eyes on decolonisation.
December 13, 2025
I do think this book is quite accademic and a little impenetrable. Many people have said it is mandatory but I just can't believe the concepts in here are approachable for everyone. I think this book is great for exploring left leaning ideas but not great at convincing people of left leaning ideas.
I also have criticisms of chapter 3 that everyone seems to adore. I don't think that Pākehā as defined by the author would identify themselves as Pākehā. Kiddle describes "saming" Māori and Pākehā by taking offence to someone being described as Pākehā. while I do think the sentiment exists in majority ethnic cricles around the world (see also the "All Lives Matter" movement), I don't think that accurately describes everyone's opposition to this idea.
People genuinely believe that "Pākehā" is used as a slur. I have met many people I would describe as Pākehā that refuse to be associated with the word as they feel it is derogatory. I disagree with these people of course. But the book fails to distinguish the "intergenerational trauma" of european migrant families from the immediate, emotional reaction of individuals taking offense to what they perceive as an insult.
There's another problem of the book that I am going to struggle to criticise eloquently. A portion of the book really understands the reasons european migrants came to Aotearoa, escaping poverty, marginalisation, and despair in their home countries. Another part of the book really understands the emperialistic instinct of the UK that led to the colonisation of NZ. But the authors only ever use the justification that is expedient to the argument they are making at the time. Further, it completely ignores Cristian values that made it a moral imperative to spread Christianity to every corner of the world. These oversights doen't stop the arguments from being salient and insightful but I do think it narrows the analysis.
This is an important book. it is well researched and written. I think its shortcomings spawn from being written in a political bubble that fails to completely empathise or understand their political opposition's point of view.
I also have criticisms of chapter 3 that everyone seems to adore. I don't think that Pākehā as defined by the author would identify themselves as Pākehā. Kiddle describes "saming" Māori and Pākehā by taking offence to someone being described as Pākehā. while I do think the sentiment exists in majority ethnic cricles around the world (see also the "All Lives Matter" movement), I don't think that accurately describes everyone's opposition to this idea.
People genuinely believe that "Pākehā" is used as a slur. I have met many people I would describe as Pākehā that refuse to be associated with the word as they feel it is derogatory. I disagree with these people of course. But the book fails to distinguish the "intergenerational trauma" of european migrant families from the immediate, emotional reaction of individuals taking offense to what they perceive as an insult.
There's another problem of the book that I am going to struggle to criticise eloquently. A portion of the book really understands the reasons european migrants came to Aotearoa, escaping poverty, marginalisation, and despair in their home countries. Another part of the book really understands the emperialistic instinct of the UK that led to the colonisation of NZ. But the authors only ever use the justification that is expedient to the argument they are making at the time. Further, it completely ignores Cristian values that made it a moral imperative to spread Christianity to every corner of the world. These oversights doen't stop the arguments from being salient and insightful but I do think it narrows the analysis.
This is an important book. it is well researched and written. I think its shortcomings spawn from being written in a political bubble that fails to completely empathise or understand their political opposition's point of view.
May 17, 2023
A collection of short essays by activists and academics in New Zealand on what seeking 'independence' from the British monarchy might look like, from essentially a Maori perspective.
Many of these essays contain a lot of nostalgia about the traditional Maori lifestyle and values: their traditional association with the natural world, their spiritual connection to the land; the value of community living. There is strong expression of protest and dismay against the forceful and allegedly deceptive taking of land from Maori by British colonizers. There is also dismay expressed about the fact that statistically Maori amongst us are far behind Pakeha's in development outcomes - education, health, incarceration rates etc). Strong resentment against how the Waitangi Treaty was used as a tool for colonization. Not surprising, considering the generally unhappy experience with colonizers in most parts of the world, from Asia to Africa.
Some essays have also explored what the remedies might be. There is an acknowledgement that decolonization might not involve withdrawal of the Pakeha, but perhaps finding better ways of cohabitation.
I found most of the arguments not very well presented. Though the damage done historically to the indigenous people is understandable, much has changed in New Zealand since the Treaty of 1840 - e.g. the country's demographic profile with so many new migrants coming in. The question of self responsibility of Maori to improve their outcomes is also not discussed.
The last essay by Moana Jackson is most powerful. A clear articulation of history and impact on Māori. A cogent argument of a possible way forward - she calls it 'restoration' instead of decolonization. The core values of Māori are defined - relationship with Mother earth, the natural world; and tribe an family centric living.
Overall, some food for thought!
Many of these essays contain a lot of nostalgia about the traditional Maori lifestyle and values: their traditional association with the natural world, their spiritual connection to the land; the value of community living. There is strong expression of protest and dismay against the forceful and allegedly deceptive taking of land from Maori by British colonizers. There is also dismay expressed about the fact that statistically Maori amongst us are far behind Pakeha's in development outcomes - education, health, incarceration rates etc). Strong resentment against how the Waitangi Treaty was used as a tool for colonization. Not surprising, considering the generally unhappy experience with colonizers in most parts of the world, from Asia to Africa.
Some essays have also explored what the remedies might be. There is an acknowledgement that decolonization might not involve withdrawal of the Pakeha, but perhaps finding better ways of cohabitation.
I found most of the arguments not very well presented. Though the damage done historically to the indigenous people is understandable, much has changed in New Zealand since the Treaty of 1840 - e.g. the country's demographic profile with so many new migrants coming in. The question of self responsibility of Maori to improve their outcomes is also not discussed.
The last essay by Moana Jackson is most powerful. A clear articulation of history and impact on Māori. A cogent argument of a possible way forward - she calls it 'restoration' instead of decolonization. The core values of Māori are defined - relationship with Mother earth, the natural world; and tribe an family centric living.
Overall, some food for thought!
May 30, 2023
I’ve had this on my shelf for a long time, and it’s been so good to finally pick it up.
The BWB Texts tagline is “Short books on big subjects by great New Zealand writers” and that’s exactly what this is: a short introduction to first defining, then discussing, what decolonisation could be.
In saying that, it took me a while month to read because it goes hand in hand with a lot of thinking. It made me consider my role as a parent, a teacher, and a land “owner”.
From the comparison in the first essay by Mike Ross of colonisation to an abusive marriage, the book tackles ideas that many New Zealanders may shy away from. Especially those that think colonisation is a finished thing that happened ages ago.
What hit home for me was understanding that we are even viewing colonisation (and all the ongoing hurt, damage, and loss) in Pākehā terms from a Pākehā viewpoint. And we can’t view decolonising this way for it to be successful.
The book doesn’t offer solutions, but is powerful nonetheless in its ability to start a discussion in coherent, thoughtful, and intelligent ways to help the reader unpack some of the concepts.
It is hopeful. And Moana Jackson’s thoughts on restoration, on justice and values in particular, show a way forward. I loved how his essay is about stories.
“From the moment that the ancestors began to know this land as the Mother, Papatūānuku, stories have had the capacity to guide and teach as well as entertain and warn.
The stories named our right to stand in this place and provided an intellectual tradition that gave us insight into the obligations that went with the right to stand.
Colonisation is an injustice that is often too painful to be told; and the relationships it has damaged and continues to damage can seem beyond repair. Yet the stories and their hope may be a guide to resolution.”
Moana Jackson
The BWB Texts tagline is “Short books on big subjects by great New Zealand writers” and that’s exactly what this is: a short introduction to first defining, then discussing, what decolonisation could be.
In saying that, it took me a while month to read because it goes hand in hand with a lot of thinking. It made me consider my role as a parent, a teacher, and a land “owner”.
From the comparison in the first essay by Mike Ross of colonisation to an abusive marriage, the book tackles ideas that many New Zealanders may shy away from. Especially those that think colonisation is a finished thing that happened ages ago.
What hit home for me was understanding that we are even viewing colonisation (and all the ongoing hurt, damage, and loss) in Pākehā terms from a Pākehā viewpoint. And we can’t view decolonising this way for it to be successful.
The book doesn’t offer solutions, but is powerful nonetheless in its ability to start a discussion in coherent, thoughtful, and intelligent ways to help the reader unpack some of the concepts.
It is hopeful. And Moana Jackson’s thoughts on restoration, on justice and values in particular, show a way forward. I loved how his essay is about stories.
“From the moment that the ancestors began to know this land as the Mother, Papatūānuku, stories have had the capacity to guide and teach as well as entertain and warn.
The stories named our right to stand in this place and provided an intellectual tradition that gave us insight into the obligations that went with the right to stand.
Colonisation is an injustice that is often too painful to be told; and the relationships it has damaged and continues to damage can seem beyond repair. Yet the stories and their hope may be a guide to resolution.”
Moana Jackson
September 22, 2022
2.5 Stars!
Despite its informal, almost laid back delivery, this actually addresses some serious issues. At times this appears to focus too much on the many problems rather than the solutions?...This does a good job of addressing not just the explicit problems of colonialization, but also the many hidden aspects which cut just as deep if not deeper into the country and still exist very much today.
Between the 1980s and 1990s the gap between the rich and poor grew quicker than any other developed country in the world. NZ’s atrocious problems with mental health, which cannot be unrelated to the escalating rates of homelessness, childhood poverty, low wages, high cost of living and an understaffed health service are also tied to colonialism and its enduring legacy.
I found very little new insight or fresh ground covered in here, which hasn’t been done before, and in terms of real, meaningful solutions this was pretty paper thin too. With some exceptions this felt like a shallow and tokenistic treatment of a deeply complex and systemic problem, with seemingly little advice beyond learn Te reo Maori and don’t be racist.
The section on addressing certain faux pas and outright racism regarding certain customs or language etc, had me laughing as it was done in such a classic passive/aggressive Kiwi way. Now I am not a New Zealander, so I may well have missed something, but as far as I can see there is no such thing as “The reo”?...which considering the seriousness of the subject, seems like quite an embarrassing oversight, especially in light of the patronising lesson on the correct pronunciation of Taupo.
April 26, 2023
This was a deep read. The authors did a great job of demystifying what decolonisation could look like in Aotearoa. I am a pākehā who has only ever lived in New Zealand and don’t consider anywhere else in the world my homeland. I certainly believe in the notion that colonisation hasn’t been good for anyone, and we could all benefit from working towards decolonisation as outlined in this book. There was one chapter that mentioned how pākehā like myself are struggling with our identity and this is something that’s come up for me many times. I have only been learning about the history of Aotearoa and Te Tiriti (more than the basics of primary school) in the last few years of my adult life. There are so many connections with what happened to Māori when the English arrived and the discrimination they still face today. This book helps to give you a glimpse of what this was/is like for Māori, but it also includes some practical real things you as an individual can do to help towards a better future for Aotearoa. It’s an important read and if more people pick up this book then it will help us get on the same page.
June 21, 2020
4.5 stars
I was at university in the mid 1980's studying New Zealand history and politics. It was a time when there was a renaissance in Maori language and cultural traditions, it was also a time of economic upheaval as well as a time of social change - the decriminalisation of homosexuality, the anti Springbok protests and a gradual awakening of the injustices of our past. History, the past cannot be undone, but we can collectively acknowledge the mistakes made and agree to act appropriately in the future. The current corona virus pandemic should give all the chance to step back, reflect on our past, and make change for the future, the world is now a very different place and the opportunities the global reset gives us to act and think more locally is paramount.
I was at university in the mid 1980's studying New Zealand history and politics. It was a time when there was a renaissance in Maori language and cultural traditions, it was also a time of economic upheaval as well as a time of social change - the decriminalisation of homosexuality, the anti Springbok protests and a gradual awakening of the injustices of our past. History, the past cannot be undone, but we can collectively acknowledge the mistakes made and agree to act appropriately in the future. The current corona virus pandemic should give all the chance to step back, reflect on our past, and make change for the future, the world is now a very different place and the opportunities the global reset gives us to act and think more locally is paramount.
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