Do you know "Maori?"

[Cloud]

Looks interesting. Tho, $20 for a 2-year old used paperback is a bit steep (you were a teen in 2006?*). From the review:

Ever since I saw the movie "The Piano", I've been curious about the Maori of New Zealand. It is assumed that they are descendents of Polynesians, but their culture and character are unique. They are a most intelligent and beautiful people. When the English moved in to colonize, they were much quicker to learn the language and customs of the intruders than the British, Irish, Australians and Germas were to learn about them. So they had a distinct advantage. They had heard what happened to the indigenous peoples of the Americas, Australia, Africa and Asia when European Imperialists took over, enslaving and killing the natives and appropriating their land. Inevitably, the same thing happened to the Maoris too but not to such an extent. Forewarned is forearmed.

ETA: *the edition listed there was published in 2006--I guess the book was published before that. That's the only edition I can find on Amazon, though.