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Abstract

The meaning of citizenship for many Indigenous peoples has historically entailed assimilation into the nation-state through colonizing education policies and practices. Several democratic nation-states are now seeking reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and redefining the meaning of citizenship within their borders. Using recent multicultural education and the politics of reconciliation research, this paper examines the possibility of reconciliation between nation-states and Indigenous peoples, focusing on the Maori of New Zealand and their quest for full inclusion and citizen rights. The paper illustrates why the politics of reconciliation is viewed as necessary to construct a political partnership that fosters a new meaning of citizenship. This analysis suggests that a new meaning of citizenship is emerging in New Zealand because the voices of the Maori are being recognized by the dominant group and historical injustices are being acknowledged through the Waitangi Tribunal process.

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