Māori Perspectives on Personality and Identity

Pepeha: A structured introduction establishing Tūrangawaewae (a place to stand). It connects an individual to their whakapapa (genealogy) and whenua (land) through mentions of maunga (mountain), awa (river), waka (canoe), iwi (tribe), and marae.
Ko wai au? (Who am I?): Identity is defined through relationships, responsibilities, and belonging rather than isolated internal traits.

Etic Approach: Uses universal, outsider perspectives to compare traits across cultures using standardized tools (e.g., translating existing questionnaires).
Emic Approach: Focuses on culture-specific traits and behaviors from an insider perspective (e.g., open-ended or culturally adapted questions).
Sibley (2011) Data: A New Zealand study ( $N = 5562$ ) used the Mini IPIP 6 to measure personality factors nationally, allowing for cross-cultural comparisons.

Collective Knowledge: Traditional knowledge is shared through oratory, waiata (song), karakia (incantation), and whakatauki (proverbs) rather than a single systematic theory.
Culturally Grounded Dispositions: Concepts such as Rangatiratanga (leadership), Manaakitanga (generosity), Aroha (compassion), and Hūmarie (humility) function similarly to traits but are relational and contextual.
Roles (Tūranga): Identity is expressed through roles like Ringawera (hospitality), Kaimahi (workers), Kaumātua (elders), and Tohunga (specialists).

Whakapapa: The "layering" of genealogy that connects everything in the universe; it is the most stable frame for identity.
Wairua (Ngā wai e rua): A multidimensional spiritual force present before birth and after death, representing the "two waters" flowing from Tūpuna (ancestors) to Mokopuna (grandchildren).
Mauri: A dynamic life force or state (not a trait) that can be Mauri Tau (calm), Mauri Oho (activated), or Mauri Noho (withdrawn).
Mana & Tapu: Mana is the power to act and relational standing; Tapu is inherent sacredness and restriction. They are interlinked and can be enhanced or diminished by treatment and behavior.

Te Whare Tapa Whā (Mason Durie): A model where health is founded on Whenua (land) and supported by four walls: spiritual, mental, physical, and family wellbeing.
Historical Land Loss: Māori land ownership dropped from $100\%$ in $1840$ to roughly $9\%$ by $1939$ , and reaching approximately $4\% \text{--} 6\%$ by $2000\text{--}2017$ .
Causal Links: Research by Thom & Grimes (2022) correlates land confiscation with negative contemporary health indicators.
Meihana Model (Ngā hau e whā): Identifies "The Four Winds" impacting identity: Colonisation, Racism, Migration, and Urbanisation.

Fluidity: Māori identity is described by McIntosh as "fixed, fluid, and forced." It is negotiated across contexts (urban, iwi, pan-Māori, and takatāpui).
Essentialism and Authenticity: Rigid "authenticity checklists" (e.g., fluently speaking te reo) create identity threats and "lateral violence" against urban or disconnected Māori.
Self-Identification: Tahu Kukutai argues identity should be based on self-identification rather than colonial tools like blood quantum.
Reclamation: Decolonization involves reconnecting with whakapapa, restoring relationship with whenua, and resisting deficit narratives to restore mana.