What do you think?
Rate this book
Being Pakeha Now: Reflections and Recollections of a White Native
Book by King, Michael
251 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1975
12 people are currently reading
110 people want to read
About the author
Michael King
286 books38 followersMichael King was one of New Zealand's leading historians and biographers. In 2006 he was named one of 100 most important New Zealanders that have ever lived. He published more than 34 books in his lifetime. His last, The Penguin History of New Zealand, has sold more than 200,000 copies and is widely considered to be the definitive history of New Zealand. His work in literary biography - most notably Wrestling With the Angel, on the life of Janet Frame - also received great critical acclaim. He made many level-headed contributions to race-relations debates and is sorely missed by his country.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
July 14, 2007
http://www.penguin.co.nz/nf/Book/Book...
I was hoping for a more personal account of how he interpreted being Pakeha in contemporary New Zealand. Instead, the book is chockers with name dropping.
I was hoping for a more personal account of how he interpreted being Pakeha in contemporary New Zealand. Instead, the book is chockers with name dropping.
August 13, 2010
Quite possibly the best book I have ever read. The quote that "Pakeha New Zealanders who are committed to this land and its people are no less "indigenous" than Maori" is something that I believe fully and try to live up to in my everyday life. Michaeal King = amazing.
September 5, 2019
More autobiography than history, which is fine, if not quite what I was hoping for. It's edifying to read the life reflections of a man who developed as holistic a way of living and thinking as any Pākehā I know of -- his assimilation of Māori language and values, his communing with the land and sea, his boundless curiosity and dedication to facts. One matter that is up for debate is whether Pākehā can call themselves 'indigenous' to Aotearoa, as King states they (and any immigrant) can; I'm not sure where I stand on that yet. But I, like him, cannot say I am 'from' or 'of' any place more than New Zealand.
January 17, 2025
I enjoyed this book. King helped me find my feet in the new Aotearoa I've returned to.
Michael King is a historian who wrote 34 books, some on important Maori lives and worked hard to do so respectfully, by taking his direction from elders, iwi, hapu and tribes who were part of the history.
In my Te Reo class, my fellow pupil told me, that a kaumatua doesn't pass on important cultural information unless they think it will be treasured. King was gifted this information and trusted. A lot of culture was put into waiatata and whaikorero and carving and written down for safekeeping. A lot of English culture was lost this way in the Industrial Revolution.
It is a biography, a treaste on race relations and a snapshot of time. I have lived in many of the events, and met some of the people he describes so I found it heartening and an antidote to the governmental racism we are suffering in 2025.
We grow up with Michael, and see where his love of history comes from and why he ends up as a journalist. His first job is in the Waikato and one of his news rounds is Maori affairs. He has had no contact with Te Ao Maori, he didn't speak Te Reo and has no idea of protocol. He was an example of his generation and the separatist racist policies of the government. But he showed up and learnt and passed on what he thought was appropriate to share.
What follows is a subtle introduction to last century allys journey.
He readily admits his mistakes and it's worth learning from them. I was particularly interested in how he made Tangata Whenua, which was ground groundbreaking television show in its time.
His comments are interesting. Some land has been returned, there is a Maori television channel and it is clear where Te Parti Maori came from. Te Kohunga Reo was the next step however all is not equal or right and Tau Tririti are still a long way off from being fair and equal partners.
King's view was to educate people to be aware. It is happening and we will never go back to the segregation of the 1950's and 1960's. This is a good thing.
I wasn't aware he wrote a biography of Dame Whina Cooper, which I will now follow up on. However, his views are of his time which is 1980's liberal white male NZ.
Saying all that, it has helped me with thorny issues I have been wrestling with. It has given me a sense of self missing from looking up information on Te Aka.
It is a dense read and interesting read. Good if you love history, Aotearoa/NZ and like biographies.
Michael King is a historian who wrote 34 books, some on important Maori lives and worked hard to do so respectfully, by taking his direction from elders, iwi, hapu and tribes who were part of the history.
In my Te Reo class, my fellow pupil told me, that a kaumatua doesn't pass on important cultural information unless they think it will be treasured. King was gifted this information and trusted. A lot of culture was put into waiatata and whaikorero and carving and written down for safekeeping. A lot of English culture was lost this way in the Industrial Revolution.
It is a biography, a treaste on race relations and a snapshot of time. I have lived in many of the events, and met some of the people he describes so I found it heartening and an antidote to the governmental racism we are suffering in 2025.
We grow up with Michael, and see where his love of history comes from and why he ends up as a journalist. His first job is in the Waikato and one of his news rounds is Maori affairs. He has had no contact with Te Ao Maori, he didn't speak Te Reo and has no idea of protocol. He was an example of his generation and the separatist racist policies of the government. But he showed up and learnt and passed on what he thought was appropriate to share.
What follows is a subtle introduction to last century allys journey.
He readily admits his mistakes and it's worth learning from them. I was particularly interested in how he made Tangata Whenua, which was ground groundbreaking television show in its time.
His comments are interesting. Some land has been returned, there is a Maori television channel and it is clear where Te Parti Maori came from. Te Kohunga Reo was the next step however all is not equal or right and Tau Tririti are still a long way off from being fair and equal partners.
King's view was to educate people to be aware. It is happening and we will never go back to the segregation of the 1950's and 1960's. This is a good thing.
I wasn't aware he wrote a biography of Dame Whina Cooper, which I will now follow up on. However, his views are of his time which is 1980's liberal white male NZ.
Saying all that, it has helped me with thorny issues I have been wrestling with. It has given me a sense of self missing from looking up information on Te Aka.
It is a dense read and interesting read. Good if you love history, Aotearoa/NZ and like biographies.
February 7, 2021
I very much enjoyed this book, and its depiction of New Zealand in the 50s to 80s; as one of the Bottle Creek “feral menagerie”, it was great to reminisce about place and people.
The last chapter in particular is very much “of its time”. It would be interesting to see how the author’s thoughts or expression of them might have evolved if he had been able to revise the material again in the 2020s.
The last chapter in particular is very much “of its time”. It would be interesting to see how the author’s thoughts or expression of them might have evolved if he had been able to revise the material again in the 2020s.
September 20, 2019
I would like to give this book 3.5 stars but need to decide between 3 & 4. I'll chose 3. I felt the title was a bit misleading, the book wasn't so much about being a 'Pakeha Now', as it was about just plain old living in New Zealand now. It just seemed to be an auto-biography, which there's nothing wrong with at all. However I felt the title set it up to be a different sort of book.
October 30, 2017
After hearing about this book all through university I finally decided to read it. I was very surprised by how familiarly King writes, and how easy of a book it was to read and understand.
I thoroughly enjoyed it
I thoroughly enjoyed it
September 7, 2015
**Note - I read the older version **
Being Pakeha is an autobiographical discussion of Michael King's interactions with the Maori people and how that informed his perception of what it means to be Pakeha and to live in a dual culture society. Because the book was written in the 1980's, it felt dated. I think some of the issues he raises have been addressed, or are being addressed. As he points out, fairly, it takes time to right wrongs without doing new wrongs, and a thoughtful approach to reparations and societal adjustment is the best way to go. I was happy to note that there is an updated version - Being Pakeha Now, published in 2004. I probably would have preferred to read a more up to date version, but I don't think the basic premise will have changed. Maori and Pakeha exist together, and they are the cultures of New Zealand. Being conscious of the differences and respectful will go a long way to improving relations and society as a whole.
My only quibble with this book was that I was hoping for more social commentary than personal anecdote. I understand why he wrote it the way he did though.
Being Pakeha is an autobiographical discussion of Michael King's interactions with the Maori people and how that informed his perception of what it means to be Pakeha and to live in a dual culture society. Because the book was written in the 1980's, it felt dated. I think some of the issues he raises have been addressed, or are being addressed. As he points out, fairly, it takes time to right wrongs without doing new wrongs, and a thoughtful approach to reparations and societal adjustment is the best way to go. I was happy to note that there is an updated version - Being Pakeha Now, published in 2004. I probably would have preferred to read a more up to date version, but I don't think the basic premise will have changed. Maori and Pakeha exist together, and they are the cultures of New Zealand. Being conscious of the differences and respectful will go a long way to improving relations and society as a whole.
My only quibble with this book was that I was hoping for more social commentary than personal anecdote. I understand why he wrote it the way he did though.
September 25, 2012
Not as interesting as his Bio of other people. It felt a bit defensive in places but I really enjoyed the bites that further explained the circumstances of some of his other work. He seems to me he was to young to wright this at the time, but as he died at a relativity young age I guess its good we have this, I believe this will be the starting point of a Bio of him that will be written by a Maori writer and that when that book is written it will be the book the has the magic, I look forward to reading it.
April 5, 2009
Committed to New Zealand, though not a Maori. non-maori New Zealanders and sense of belonging, contributing.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews