Christina McKerchar & Lee Thompson

This article reports research that set out to investigate men’s experiences at taiaha wānanga in Waitaha/ Canterbury, Aotearoa New Zealand, and whether those experiences helped to shape tāne Māori identity. There is a gap in our existing understanding of men’s experiences in this kaupapa, providing a unique opportunity to learn how mau taiaha has shaped participants’ lives. The strongest themes identified within the data include cultural disconnection and the search for tāne Māori identity, along with the role of taiaha wānanga in male identity construction.