Papa'a

Pākehā (or Pakeha; Māori pronunciation: [ˈpɑːkehɑː] or English pronunciation: /ˈpɑːkɪhɑː/) 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. 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 European New Zealanders. Some reject it because it is supposedly offensive in origin,derogatory or they object to being named in a language other than their own. Many are indifferent, but a minority embrace the term and consider 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 widely considered to be derogatory; however, only 12% of New Zealanders of European descent chose the term Pākehā, with the remainder preferring "New Zealander" (53%), "New Zealand European" (25%) or "Kiwi" (17%).

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