Taha maori
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Taha maori is a New Zealand phrase, used in both Maori and New Zealand English It means "the Maori side (of a question)" or "the Maori perspective" as opposed to the Pakeha or European side or perspective.
In many New Zealand families, particularly those established for two or three generations or more, there has been intermarriage between Maori and Pakeha. This means that a large proportion of people born in New Zealand are of mixed descent, both Maori and Pakeha. The Taha Maori refers not to their ancestry so much as to the customs of their Maori ancestors and appropriateness of both acknowledging and following these customs.
For many years Pakeha custom and usage has been dominant in New Zealand. However since about the 1980s the place of Maori custom in New Zealand society has been increasingly recognized, albeit reluctantly, by many sections of the populace.
A person who accepts their Taha Maori will often try to live according to Tikanga Maori.
See also Culture of the Maori.