Mai i Aotearoa – From New Zealand: The effects of living in Australia on Māori identity

Abstract

It is estimated that one in every five people that identify as Māori were either born or is currently living in Australia. The large Māori population that currently resides in Australia has forced the question ‘Does living in Australia affect one’s Māori identity?’ to be asked and if it does how so.

This dissertation begins by looking at the causes of Māori migration from New Zealand to Australia and the experiences involved in doing so. It looks at Māori integration into an Australian environment, what experiences impacted on a migrant’s identity as a Māori person and the ways in which a Māori identity is maintained whilst living in Australia. This research also aims to show how some key Māori values such as tūrangawaewae, ahikā, whānau and tikanga have been adapted to suit the Australian Māori community whilst still maintaining those core philosophies that make these concepts uniquely Māori.

This dissertation uses the experiences of five people who have migrated to Australia and have been living there for over ten years. This research provides an opportunity for their journey of identity formation and maintenance to unfold.