Becoming Pakeha

A timely book about the story of the Pakeha's past, present, and what lies ahead After more than 200 years of co-existence under the umbrella of a unique treaty, you might think things would be better than ever. In this brilliantly written book, John Bluck argues that Pakeha and Maori worlds grow ever more separate: the Aotearoa of today is a landscape of two predominant cultures, overlaid with so many others, fractured and more likely to erupt than Ruapehu. But it hasn't always been this way. Becoming Pakeha follows the author's life from growing up as a Pakeha in a Maori village in the 1950s, through an account of the way New Zealand used to be, and the history that shaped it. Although Bluck talks about the discomfort of being Pakeha, he also considers how Pakeha might live with that, and get used to the wearing the name until they find a better one. Looking at everything from failed models of bicultural harmony to what's likely to bring the treaty partners together, Becoming Pakeha is a timely read for anyone who wants to understand race relations in Aotearoa New Zealand today. 'This is a book I've long been trying not to write. It ought to be easy, but it's not. I began under the cover of a pseudonym, because some of my friends who will read it won't stay friends. Then I decided I'm too old to worry about that. And besides, it has to be a personal story, as it is for many other unsettled Pakeha who relish the privilege of living here, and have spent a lifetime trying to belong in this land.'