Securing cultural identity for whānau well-being

A qualitative study of a whānau-led initiative

Bibliographic Data

ID18983908
AuthorsA Reweti (0000-0002-9509-1069, Massey University, corresponding author)
Year2022
Volume18
Issue3
Pages375-382
Publication date2022-09-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueAlterNative An International Journal of Indigenous Peoples (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1177-1801 • E-ISSN: 1174-1740
PublisherSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/11771801221118623
OpenAlexW4293495646
LanguageEN
Citations received4
References cited15

Colonial processes have severely disrupted Māori social organisation and attachment to place through land alienation and different experiences of urban migration. As a result, many whānau (extended family) have lost connection to their whenua (land) and ancestral marae (communal and sacred meeting ground) causing intergenerational loss of knowledge and values that secure cultural identity and belonging. Finding accessible pathways to restore fragmented knowledge and reconnect whānau to te ao Māori (Māori world) is an essential part of securing cultural identity to facilitate well-being. This qualitative study explores the social, cultural, and health benefits experienced by whānau involved in a whānau-led initiative at their ancestral marae. This research asserts that securing connections to culture and whenua enhances individual and collective identities improving overall whānau health and well-being. Sharing such narratives provides a platform for whānau experiences to be heard illuminating a pathway to potentially inspire other whānau

Aesthetics · Alienation · Cultural identity · Narrative · Negotiation · Place attachment · Political science · Social science · Sociology · Community Health and Development · Grief, Bereavement, and Mental Health · Indigenous Health, Education, and Rights · Law · Psychology · Social Psychology

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