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I was told that the reason NZ didn’t join Australia was because Australian Aborigines were treated terribly and there was concern that the Maori would be mistreated as well. Is there any truth to this? If so, what influenced the divergent attitudes?
It's my understanding that the Treaty of Waitangi was made out of an understanding and acceptance of the reality that unlike the aborigines, the Maori had a larger population and a more advanced society and wouldn't allow themselves to be treated like native fauna or subhumans, not because the British government/settlers wanted to give them…
