Reweaving the Spaces of Inter-Cultural Dialogue in Post-Treaty New Zealand/Aotearoa

Abstract

This study explores cross-cultural dialogue between Māori and settler colonials through the lens of Emily Karaka’s paintings. Karaka’s paintings are used to probe and reveal the colonial roots of spatial organization at the site where they are displayed. Building on parallels between the life of Karaka’s paintings and Treaty of Waitangi documents, this study finds that post-Treaty dialogue between Māori and settler colonials takes place in spaces built on and informed by the spatial biases of settler colonialism. The study concludes that recognizing these biases is crucial for meaningful dialogue and suggests that the Treaty of Waitangi invites a spatial response.