Pākehā

Pākehā is a Māori language term for non-Maori or for New Zealanders who are "of European descent". Recently, the word has been used to refer inclusively either to fair-skinned persons or any non-Māori New Zealander.Papa'a has a similar meaning in Cook Islands Māori.

Its etymology is unclear, but the term was in use by the late 18th century, and in December 1814, the Māori children at Rangihoua in the Bay of Islands were "no less eager to see the packaha than the grown folks". In the Māori language, plural nouns of Pākehā may include Ngā Pākehā (definite article) and He Pākehā (indefinite article). When the word was first adopted, the usual plural in English was Pakehas. However New Zealand English speakers are increasingly removing the terminal s and treating Pākehā as a collective noun.

Opinions of the term vary amongst New Zealanders. Some find it highly offensive, others are indifferent, some find it inaccurate and archaic, while some happily use the term and find the main alternatives such as "New Zealand European" inappropriate. In 2013, the New Zealand Attitudes and Values Study carried out by The University of Auckland found no evidence that the word was derogatory, although only 14% of the overall respondents chose the term Pākehā with the remainder preferring New Zealander, New Zealand European or simply Kiwi.

Māori in the Bay of Islands and surrounding districts had no doubts about the meaning of the word pākehā in the 19th century. In 1831, thirteen rangatira from the far north of the country met at Kerikeri to compose a letter to King William IV, seeking protection from the French, "the tribe of Marion". Written in Māori, the letter used the word pākehā to mean "British European", and the words tau iwi to mean "strangers (non-British)" — as shown in the translation that year of the letter from Māori to English by the missionary William Yate. To this day, the Māori term for the English language is Reo Pākehā. Māori also used other terms such as tupua ("supernatural", "object of fear, strange being"),kehua ("ghosts"), and maitai ("metal" or referring to persons "foreign") to refer to some of the earliest visitors.

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