How are indegenous people treated in New Zealsnd?

It is completely different to Australia which had institutionalised racism right through until the 1960s, thanks to the White Australia policy. It doesn't have anything to do with any physical similarities between Maori people and anyone else, Asian or otherwise.

In New Zealand the Maori have always been (technically) the equal of the immigrant white races and in 1840 a treaty was signed between Britain and the main Maori tribes guaranteeing their land and fishing rights in exchange for ceding sovereignty to the British crown. This was a highly unusual and forward thinking step at the time but it didn't work as well as it should have and Maori frustration over the interpretation and implementation of the treaty helped lead to the Maori Wars of the 1860s.

Maori culture has a much higher profile in New Zealand/Aotearoa than aboriginal culture does in mainstream Australia. There are a number or reasons for this - the country is much smaller, Maoris comprise a larger proportion of the population and their societies were always more highly organised and structured than aboriginal ones.

Legally, Maoris are, and always were, the equal of anyone else in the country but there have, of course, been many instances of racism throughout the years as there are, unfortunately, in any multi-racial society. By comparison with many other countries, New Zealanders can be reasonably proud of the way races co-exist in Aotearoa.

LOL this is a stupid and pretentious post.

I'm maori and have never once found myself at a disadvantage in any way, shape or form.

I have never once felt like I have been treated with disrespect based off the fact that I am not white or don't act "white" enough, whatever that means.

No one cares what race you are in NZ. If you act like trash you get treated like trash, if you treat yourself and others with respect you get that in return. Being white or acting white has nothing to do with anything here. You want to see a real class system in act? Go to Australia and see how the abos are treated or go to South Africa and see how having a certain skin colour actually makes a difference there.

I know exactly what the original OP is getting at with this question.

Most people fail to realize or don't want to acknowledge that skin color has every bit to do with how whites treat non-whites. The darker you are, the worst treatment you'll receive. That's why here in the US, there's this racial hierarchy of sorts. Asians who have the lightest skin are treated better than Blacks, Native Americans, Hispanics etc. Even back in the day, whites were willing to accept Native Americans to a certain extent if they agreed to assimilate into white culture (which was ignorant on white people's part) but this was never intended for Blacks. This is why interracial marriage between whites and Native Americans was never outlawed like it was between blacks and whites.

So the obvious better treatment of Maoris vs horrible treatment of Australian Aborigines at the hands of whites definitely has it's roots in skin color, phenotype and hair texture!

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