Decolonizing the Queer Project of Aotearoa New Zealand: Weaving Takatāpui Identity into Queer Spaces

Abstract

Most recent research in queer studies focuses on White queer cultures, with other representations of queer identities overlooked or excluded, leaving rich Indigenous knowledge outside of the queer framework. The current study applies queer humanism to analyze the narratives recorded during semistructured interviews with trans and nonbinary individuals in Aotearoa New Zealand, focusing on communication of meanings of takatāpui, the Indigenous Māori queer identity. The discourse analysis of their narratives suggests that queer Māori participants have embraced this identity and expanded its meaning from same-sex relationships to all gender- and sexually diverse people. The word takatāpui, as an umbrella term for all queer Māori identities, was also discussed by some Pākehā (non-Māori/European) participants, indicating the trend for weaving the Indigenous knowledge into wider queer spaces. This deeper understanding of the meaning and value of takatāpui identity in queer cultures provides valuable resources for decolonizing queer spaces in Aotearoa and other Indigenous contexts.