Dismantling ‘kind’ colonialism

“Kind colonialism” operates on the false idea that colonisation is necessary, beneficial, and inevitable. The reason it became the dominant form of colonisation in Aotearoa is because we were the most expensive place for Britain to colonise, being so far away. It’s damned expensive to keep sending troops and ships and guns and cannons from the other side of the world. Colonisation by military force was simply not economically sustainable, and our tīpuna, to my enduring pride, wouldn’t stop playing up. And so the Crown had to come up with other ways of carrying out the colonial project. Enter “kind” colonialism. “Kind” colonialism rests on three actions: First, convince the local populations that colonialism is beneficial, necessary, and inevitable. Second, rapidly and aggressively assimilate them. Third, recruit local populations to carry out colonial work.

Direct link