The effects of colonisation WERE, of course, dramatic. The arrival of Europeans here had a huge impact on Maori but it was far less destructive than the mass exploitation that occurred in many other countries. And colonisation cannot be blamed for every ill facing Maori. There is a lesson for New Zealand to learn from the experience of countries in Africa and East Asia. Africa is full of failed democracies and economies.
Black dictators bankrupt their people.
Opposition parties disappear. There is widespread poverty, disease and misery. Warring tribes commit genocide on each other. The leaders of these unfortunate people amass personal fortunes and spend desperately needed money on projects of self aggrandizement. At the same time they blame all their ills on colonisation and imperialism.