"A Right To Be Māori?" Identity formation of Māori Adoptees

Abstract

Writings dedicated to the adoption of Māori children or whāngai are minimal and there appears to be very little literature in regards to the affect of adoption on descendants of Māori adoptees.

Whāngai has often been referred to as the Māori term for adoption. In my opinion, whāngai and adoption are very different. I believe whāngai to be a practice whereby family members care for and raise the child of other family members, for whatever reasons. Adoption, on the other hand, is the permanent placement of a child from one family into the home of others, in many instances, strangers. In this situation the child is then raised as if they were the biological child of the new adoptive parents. This is also known as closed stranger adoptions whereby all contact between the child and their biological parents are severed. It is important to note that adoption and whāngai experiences are not all the same. There may be some similarities between stories, but all experiences are individual.

The thesis first provides a historical overview of whāngai and adoption, the effect these have had on Māori society and the ability to identify as Māori. In addition, it will examine the changes within New Zealand society and how this affected whāngai and adoption practices. Secondly, the thesis will describe how Māori who were whāngai or adopted identify themselves and what they believe it means to have a Māori identity. In essence, the thesis will explore how adopted Māori form their identity or are able to identify as Māori. Thirdly, the thesis will ascertain the affect adoption or whāngai has on the identity of adopted Māori descendants. Adoption does not stop at the adopted, it has a flow-on affect in subsequent generations, especially when there are unresolved adoption issues.