The article discusses the concept of Aotearoa New Zealand as a British settler state, built on misleading narratives about civilization, development, and the people inhabiting the land. The author critiques the patriarchal and colonial mindset that perpetuates a singular worldview while ignoring and dismissing the complex histories and rights of indigenous peoples. It emphasizes the dichotomy between civilized and natural, arguing that the narratives constructed around civilization are harmful and are rooted in systemic oppression, serving to privilege particular identities and histories at the expense of others.
"This settlement was justified by the fabric of lies: empty lands; unsettled lands; undeveloped lands; wilderness; primitive peoples...sold by the avaricious, the power-hungry, the conceited, the overwhelmingly white and male."
"Civilization to them means one truth, one worldview, one way to be, one knowledge set...Lies that constitute willful and harmful ignorance."
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