Within the context of both colonial history and contemporary disputes between colonial and Maori interests, this paper offers a reading of the notion of sovereignty. Data from a focus group yields a construction of sovereignty that is analysed discursively. The analysis highlights the way talk constitutes and positions people and also the way sovereignty itself is constructed. We argue that this work is novel within the social psychology of race relations. While previous work has examined the oppressive functions of 'race talk', this study offers an alternative to the dominant discourses surrounding nationhood. The paper provides insights into a previously unexamined side of the construction of race related issues, and illustrates how oppressive 'race talk' can be challenged.