Caught in the middle: a qualitative metasynthesis of Māori youth cultural identity

Increasingly research has explored the resurgence of Māori (Indigenous peoples of New Zealand) cultural identity in New Zealand. However, this has rarely privileged the perspectives of Māori youth as experts and innovators of Māori culture. This article presents a metasynthesis of qualitative research exploring how Māori youth understand their own cultural identity. A comprehensive online literature search was conducted. In total, 6,306 pieces of literature were identified; 37 met the criteria to be included in the final review. Using reflexive thematic analysis, three themes were generated: the Front, the Back, and Caught in the middle. Together, these themes highlight the challenges and opportunities for cultural connection and explore sub-communities of Māori youth who are uniquely constrained in their ability to engage with Māori culture. This work highlights a need to expand our understandings of cultural identity to be more dynamic, capturing the lived realities and aspirations of Māori youth.