The Waxing and Waning of the Politics of Authenticity: The Situation of Urban-Based Māori through the Lens of Municipal Politics

In Aotearoa/New Zealand, during the period known as the Māori cultural renaissance, developing rhetoric about Māori authenticity has emphasized distinctions between tribal and urban Māori. This has been in part due to the juridification of Māori property by the state and the concomitant retribalization. In recent years, however, there are signs that this essentializing tendency might be lessening as the passing of time has brought Māori successes in many fields. The process of reasserting themselves and renegotiating their relations with non‐Māori involves issues of participation and political representation, including at the local government level. This paper looks at these changes and at the debate around Māori representation on Auckland's new Super City Council and the resulting present situation. It shows that concerns about authenticity wax and wane, depending on the larger political context. [Māori, New Zealand, authenticity, political representation, local government]