My research explores the provision of trauma-informed care to tamariki M膩ori and their wh膩nau within the Mana Ake mental health initiative here in Waitaha | mini传媒. Mana Ake was put into place in early 2018 to support the ongoing mental health needs of children and families who have been negatively impacted by the traumatic events that have occurred in the Waitaha region over the past decade. I will be examining the perspectives of tamariki M膩ori and their wh膩nau, kaimahi M膩ori (M膩ori practitioners) and those in leadership positions involved in Mana Ake.
This mahi is important because much of the global knowledge base regarding trauma is grounded in Western understandings and this is being reflected in the way that we conceptualize and try to treat trauma here in Aotearoa. However, Western understandings of trauma often neglect to account for collective, historical and intergenerational types of trauma that commonly affect indigenous people such as M膩ori. Therefore, Western trauma approaches can be limited in their effectiveness for M膩ori as well as their ability to provide cultural safety.
My Kaupapa M膩ori research project aims to examine m膩tauranga M膩ori (M膩ori knowledge) related to trauma and healing, to privilege M膩ori voices and to contribute to the legitimization of M膩ori knowledge - challenging the Western knowledge base that currently dominates the trauma landscape. It is my hope that my research can help to inform the future direction of trauma-informed care for M膩ori and add to the small amount of existing literature on this topic.
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Research Interests
Growing up in the far north of New Zealand I have seen the impact of environmental influences on our tamariki at family, community and systemic levels. Wanting to be part of creating better outcomes for child wellbeing in my community led me to study Psychology at Waikato University and then Child and Family Psychology here at the University of mini传媒. Being a M膩ori researcher, I am particularly interested in exploring ways we can improve inequitable wellbeing outcomes for our M膩ori children. I have experience working with children who have been subject to relational and complex trauma and this work keeps me grounded in the realities that face our tamariki, especially here in Christchurch.
My iwi are Ng膩ti Whatua, Ng膩i te Rangi and Ng膩puhi.
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Working thesis title
Working thesis title: Exploring the provision of trauma-informed care to tamariki M膩ori and their wh膩nau within the Mana Ake mental health initiative in Waitaha | mini传媒.
