By Matthew Scobie & Anna Sturman. Published by Bridget Williams Books, 2024 (NZD 18) Reviewed by Tui Cadigan

The subtitle to this book reads: “The future of Aotearoa depends on how Māori engage with capitalism”. In only 126 pages, authors Scobie and Sturman, citing credible Māori and other experts, provide sufficient historical information on the relationship between Māori and colonisers to argue their thesis. The book looks at the colonial-capitalist economy and the search to engage with Māori economies both post- and pre-settlement to articulate how the country moves forward without the current imbalance, which favours the colonisers.

The Economic Possibilities of Decolonisation comes to us at a time when the New Zealand coalition government is attacking Māori on Te Tiriti o Waitangi, health outcomes and educational needs among other issues. The challenge to the wellbeing and mana of Māori is intrinsically linked with colonial government — this book is a way to discuss the economic implications of Aotearoa’s colonial and capitalist history.

I enjoyed the book and would recommend it as a resource in secondary and tertiary education, for Christians of all persuasions in Aotearoa and Tangata Tiriti. Those with political aspirations will find it enlightening, too.

Tui Motu magazine. Issue 297 October 2024: 27