Maori Cowboys, Maori Indians

Reflecting on a short story in which two young Maori boys comment after watching a western film that "neither of us wanted to be an Indian," this article explores the layers of complexity inherent to comparative Indigenous studies. Maori engagement with the visual cultures of Cowboys and Indians suggests that Indigenous-Indigenous connection can itself be articulated as disjuncture or dis-identification. We expect Maori to identify with Indians, but how do we think about the moments in which Maori do not? Ultimately, recognizing differences between Indigenous people and centering the various effects of colonialism can produce the conditions for remaining committed to – rather than the reasons to depart from – the pursuit of ethical, grounded, careful comparative Indigenous work.