Broken Narratives: A Critical Analysis of Māori Reconnection To Their Culture Through Tabletop Roleplaying Games

This thesis aims to create narrative structures and experiences for Māori who are disconnected from their culture to reforge that connection to their heritage through playing TTRPGs (Tabletop Roleplaying Games). Research on the modern Māori way of life and identity, as well as analysis of the current political landscape Māori live within in Aotearoa and the world will be a primary focus of this thesis and creative output. The many ways Māori identify in Aotearoa are and will continue to change. The ability to navigate those changes to seek and find belonging through the playing of TTRPGs is the main aim of this thesis. There are many types of TTRPGs, the emergent narratives of imaginative and collaborative storytelling create meaningful moments for players to live out scenarios they may not be able to in real life. The creative output of this thesis is a game that aims to create moments for Māori who identify on across the spectrum of connection to their culture to play out moments in their fictional character’s life, giving them agency in a fictional world where in the real world they may have none. The imagined moments shared in these stories live on in the minds of their players and affect them in meaningful ways throughout their lives. Qualitative research was gathered that highlighted the many identities of Māori across a spectrum of connection. Interviews and playthroughs conducted following the Kaupapa Kōrero conversation methodology guide the research. This thesis emulates through gameplay the conversations Māori have in their journey to reconnect to their culture. This thesis concludes that TTRPGs are an invaluable tool to help navigate the conversations one has when reconnecting with one’s culture