Queer Māori Terms, from Takatāpui to Irawhiti

Te Tīmatanga was a Takatāpui-focused “public art and digital festival” at 2023 Auckland Pride. Source: Auckland Pride.

I would like to start this article by saying that before writing this, my knowledge about the Rainbow community in Te Ao Māori was limited. I have knowledge on both cultures individually, but not together. Through writing this piece, I’ve learnt a lot of interesting things, and I hope that you as a reader learn as much as I did. 

It is notable that te reo Māori does not have an emphasis on gender in pronouns. This is seen in both our personal pronouns – “ia” – and processive pronouns – “tāna” and “tōna” – as they are gender neutral. 

Therefore, if you were to refer to a person in a sentence, they would not be referred to by their gender, like in English. For example, in English you would say “she is happy”, or “he is happy”, or “they are happy”, depending on who you’re talking about. In te reo, it would just be “kei te harikoa ia”, no matter who you were referring to. This gender-neutral language is noticeable throughout te reo Māori. 

Considering this aspect of te reo Māori, it is not surprising to learn that it is widely believed that before colonisation, practices other than heterosexuality were accepted in Māori society. 

An aspect of this belief can be seen though the term “takatāpui”. The earliest written definition of the word takatāpui is found in one of the earliest Māori dictionaries, A Dictionary of the Māori Language, published by missionary Herbert Williams in 1844. Williams defines the word as “an intimate companion of the same sex”. 

In the 1970s, academics Ngahuia Te Awekotuka and then Lee Smith stumbled across the word takatāpui in a manuscript by 19th century scholar Te Rangikāheke, in which a male, Tūtānekai, described his male companion Tiki as “taku hoa [my friend] takatāpui”. This ‘rediscovery’ led to a reclamation of the term takatāpui in the 1980s, by Māori in lesbian, gay, and trans communities. 

In recent years, the definition of takatāpui has expanded to include all tangata whenua with diverse gender identities and sexualities. Gender Minorities Aotearoa defines takatāpui as “an umbrella word and an individual identity, which refers to all rainbow people, including transgender, pansexual, lesbian, queer, gay, bisexual, and some asexual people”. 

This definition is reflective of the shift of the use of takatāpui over recent years. The term takatāpui is widely regarded as a term that encompasses Māori spirituality and culture as well as sexuality. 

Although takatāpui is an umbrella term for the Rainbow community and is probably the most known term, there are other te reo Māori terms that are used which relate more to gender identity and diversity. 

According to insideout.org.nz: 

“Taihemarua”: intersex.  

“Irahuhua”: gender diverse, gender diversity.  

“Tāhine”: loosely translated to non-binary. This term is used broadly, so it can be used to describe a transgender woman, a transgender man, or a non-binary or genderfluid person. 

“Tangata ira tane”: a person with the spirit of gender of a man, loosely translated to mean “in the manner of a man”. Best understood within its cultural context and may mean something different to each person. 

“Whakawāhine”, “hinehi”, “hinehua”: Some Māori people may use to describe their feminine gender. Best understood within its cultural context and may mean something different to each person. 

According to Gender Minorites Aotearoa: 

“Whakatāne”: trans man 

“Tangata ira wahine”: trans woman. With the spirit or gender of a woman. 

Gender Minorites Aotearoa also highlight the term “irawhiti” which they define as “an umbrella word and an individual identity which refers to all transgender people; including binary, non-binary, and some intersex people”. 

The term irawhiti is considered a more contemporary term compared to takatāpui. 

It is important to note that in relation to the terms that have been shared within this article, when speaking te reo, we may refer to all the people within these different communities with terms such as takatāpui and irawhiti. However, in an English-language context, only Māori people use these terms to name their personal identity.