“I don’t feel ‘Māori enough’” – teens face barriers to connecting with ancestral marae

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2026-04-27 03:00

New Zealand

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Most Māori teens living in cities don’t feel strongly connected to their ancestral marae, finds a survey of 360 teens in Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin and Rotorua. Distance and lack of time were key factors, with teens in Rotorua more likely to live close to their marae and to feel a strong connection to it. However, many teens expressed a wish to reconnect, and schools were a key place where they learned about their heritage and were given opportunities to visit marae. The researchers said that to ensure the future vitality of marae, Māori teens need support, through education, digital tools and opportunities to engage with marae, to help them connect to their whakapapa.