Story of the week – How much is not enough? Blood quantum in a colonised society.

4 mins reading time

How much is not enough? Blood quantum in a colonised society. 

By Hayley White 

When I learned about my whakapapa, I was told how much Māori blood I had in my veins and that was probably the worst thing I could have ever known. It immediately dismissed even the slightest idea of me even trying to claim my heritage which was reflected in the conversations I had at the time: “Oh, but you are barely Māori,” or: “But if you only have a drop, how Māori can you be?”