Activist traditions of resistance, dissent and non-violent direct action are longstanding in New Zealand (Aotearoa) but activist scholarship is a more recent emerging phenomenon. This paper, written from the perspective of a trio of left-orientated Pākehā (settler) activist scholars explores the potential of activist scholarship in the socio-political context of New Zealand. The authors come from particular political standpoints but are interested in multiple systems of oppression. The paper outlines what we collectively understand by activist scholarship and how we see it can both strengthen political activism and academic scholarship. We offer three distinct case studies of activist scholarship from our niche fields of activism as exemplars of what is and what might be. We conclude by offering possible ways forward for activist scholarship in the sometimes radical land of Aotearoa.