Oh, you don’t look Māori: Socially assigned ethnicity.

This paper discusses experiences of Mori who self-report that they are socially assigned as Pkeh and explores these experiences in relation to Mori identity and colonisation. Utilising Kaupapa Mori theory, methodology and methods, semi-structured interviews were undertaken with 10 participants. Three interrelated themes were identified through a thematic analysis: claims of identity, challenges to identity and reinforcement of identity. The themes informed the conceptualisation of Te Haerenga Tuakiri, which illustrates the complexity of Mori identity and how it is navigated by Mori who are socially assigned as Pkeh in various ways and in various contexts.