British imperial encounters with indigenous cultures created perceptions and stereotypes that still persist today. The initial creation of racial images in relation to violence - such as 'warrior race' or 'unoffending people' - had particular consequences for land ownership. Whilst the Maori of New Zealand were understood to be sovereign owners of their country, Australian Aboriginals were not. Standfield examines these differences and how they occurred.

British imperial encounters with indigenous cultures created perceptions and stereotypes that still persist today. The initial creation of racial images in relation to violence had particular consequences for land ownership. Standfield examines these differences and how they occurred.