Creation Narratives as Metaphors for Indigenous Identity Development

Indigenous peoples in the 21st century colonial contexts face many challenges, not least of which is the struggle to retain cultural identity, beliefs, knowledge and traditions. While Western psychological theories offer insights into how identities are formed, there is a need for models of cultural reintegration and identity development that recognise colonial histories and realities and affirm indigenous aspirations. The purpose of this article is to explore how MÄ ori (the indigenous people of New Zealand) negotiate MÄ ori identities in the 21st century. MÄ ori students and their family members were interviewed about their experiences at a state secondary school, and a thematic analysis of interviews was conducted to produce a framework of indigenous identity development. Within this framework, four identity states that correspond to stages in MÄ ori creation narratives are identified, and the pÅ whiri (MÄ ori welcome ceremony) is used as a metaphor for MÄ ori cultural reintegration and identity development. The PÅ whiri Identity Negotiation Framework incorporates factors central to indigenous identities, accommodates personal identity aspirations, reflects the dynamic nature of identities by allowing identity transitions to occur and affirms multiple identity positions.