Abstract
Waiho i te toipoto, kaua i te toiroa – let us keep close together, not wide apart. Following colonisation and the differentiation of Māori from non-Māori, Western stereotypes have wrongfully ‘fixed’ Māori identity to geographical spaces of tūrangawaewae. Residence in rural ancestral space is not a reality for Māori who take on a diasporic identity. Diaspora theory can be applied in relation to Māori migration away from places of tūrangawaewae. To better understand the role of diaspora in conjunction with Western stereotypes of Māori identity, decolonising methodologies have been implemented at the heart of this research project. Aspects from a combination of qualitative methods have informed the unique method of ‘kōwetewete’, encouraging the sharing of experiences as diaspora. Results and key themes of this rangahau were established through kaikōrero pūrākau, following Grounded Theory. The complexity of themes raised indicates the pressing reality for those in diaspora, and how this influences Māori identity following ideas of Māori authenticity. It is important to mitigate against the colonial influence that continues to limit diaspora Māori through the perceived necessary criteria to identify as Māori. It is an aspiration for this rangahau to be ever-evolving through further conversations with Māori, both within Aotearoa and those who have migrated internationally.