Assisted Reproduction and Making Kin Connections between Māori and Pākehā in Aotearoa New Zealand

In 2004, the HART Act legislated openness and identifiability regarding donor information for children conceived with the aid of donor-assisted technologies in Aotearoa New Zealand. As well as acknowledging the psychological and emotional well-being of openness for donor offspring, the rationale for change in policy and law also recognised the importance of tracing genealogy and the exchange of information about genetic origins. Of particular significance to Māori, the transfer of reproductive materials between known and unknown donors and recipients has implications for social identity in ways that may not be deemed as significant for non-Māori. This chapter draws on qualitative research data from a study conducted in Aotearoa with people accessing assisted reproduction for the purpose of family building. The aim of the chapter is to critically examine assumptions about the differences between Māori and Pākehā understandings of kinship affinities and relatedness in the process of making families.