On ambiguity

Lieutenant Scott, who is leading a group of Maori soldiers hunting for Te Wheke, stops at the Williamson farm to speak to the settler about the death of his wife. On seeing the Maori bushrangers, Williamson asks Lieutenant Scott: “How can you tell they’re not his men”? Wiremu responds: “I can tell”. Williamson then asks Wiremu: “How can we tell you’re not one of them”? Wiremu states: “You can’t”.

Anna Sutton, “Utu (1983)”.  In “Ahua: Maori in Film”. Unpublished typescript [Draft PhD thesis], Canterbury, 2009.  Reproduced with permission.  Draft only; not for citation.

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