Māori Identity Construction in SNS

Abstract

Māori people (the Indigenous people of New Zealand) possess deep spiritual connections to the environment, landscape and seascape which can be markers of one’s identity and acknowledging where their ancestors came from and thus, where they come from. Traditionally, ones whakapapa (genealogy), language and knowledge were acquired within traditional spaces (such as the marae) and orally passed down through generations. These aspects of cultural are no longer restricted to oral traditions or to the marae space. An increased access to knowledge and information through the Internet and SNS (social networking sites) now provides alternative methods to finding out, learning more and engaging with aspects of Māori cultural identity. This paper will address notions of Māori cultural identity in ascertaining how Māori identity is formed and constructed using SNS.