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National | Science

Māori identity is in the eyes of the beholder – Paraone Gloyne

Renowned Māori leaders Pou Temara and Paraone Gloyne said to Te Kāea today that Māori identity is in the eyes of the beholder. This statement follows the DNA test results of Native Affairs presenter Oriini Kaipara which revealed her as being full-blooded Māori.

According to DNA test results, Oriini Kaipara is a full-blooded Māori, something Māori studies Professor Pou Temara thought no longer existed.

Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato Lecturer Pou Temara, “This is a very surprising discovery because I remember being told that there were no remaining full-blooded Māori. I distinctively remember being told that the remaining Māori in New Zealand were of mixed blood.”

Māori customs expert Paraone Gloyne has also raised questions around the benefits of being tested.

“How would this knowledge change anything? By knowing this will you believe more in yourself? Will you believe more in your culture? Will it drive you to learn te reo? If so, take the test. My belief is that other than finding out that you have Māori ancestry, there are no other benefits.”

Ms Kaipara took the Ancestry.com DNA test last year as part of a Native Affairs story on Māori identity.

Temara says, “Whakapapa is an indication of where you are from and that the blood of your ancestors flows through your veins.”

Gloyne says, “The Māori world-view says that through DNA we are genetically linked to our gods. If we believe we are Māori, we must then recognise that our DNA begins at Rangi and Papa.”

A DNA test showed that Kaipara is 98% Māori. The remaining 2% appeared to be from Scandinavia and the Caucasus regions around Turkey.

If you are interested in being tested you can do so through www.ancestry.com.

Here is a link to the Native Affairs – Full Blooded Māori story.

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