Maori Never Ceded Sovereignty to the Crown

It’s been a while! The last few months have been incredibly busy, with leaving Australia and New Zealand, popping through the U.S. for a month, and beginning my summer travels in Europe.

During my travels I often take photos of interesting signs, posters, and artwork I’ve seen and I thought I’d start sharing them. The first is from the Christchurch Art Gallery in New Zealand - a 2023 painting by Robyn Kahukiwa, titled “Māori Never Ceded Sovereignty to the Crown.” 

I spent three months traveling around New Zealand and one thing became clear: the Māori are very proud (and deservedly so) to have never ceded sovereignty to the British.

At the end of the description of the painting, it reads “She has said, ‘How can you paint about Māori and not paint about political issues? How can you separate the two?’” This question made me contemplate the portrayal of other Indigenous cultures in terms of political issues, for example, in the United States and in Australia, and I thought I’d put it to the group. What does this question, this idea, bring up for you? What does the painting evoke?

To learn more about the history of the Māori, check out the New Zealand government’s website and the New Zealand tourism website. Don’t forget to keep in mind who wrote these!

Painting: “Māori Never Ceded Sovereignty to the Crown”

Painting description