From Insight to Action – Tikanga Māori illuminating the way forward
According to the Rotorua Healthy Families community survey (2023) 64% of people surveyed said that alcohol consumption in urupā (burial sites) is common, while 67% expressed a desire to return urupā to being waipiro kore or alcohol-free places.
Some kaupapa stir up strong emotions and this is potentially one of them. After all, whānau have their own ‘ways of doing’ and people grieve differently. One of our local marae is approaching the challenge of alcohol becoming normalised in te ao Māori by using tikanga to illuminate the way forward, and our own ‘cultural tools to build a new pathway.’
Creating the conditions for change
Working alongside the marae has created the opportunity to position wānanga as a constructive tool to create transformation. Wānanga is about open discussion, and about gathering to discuss differing thoughts, opinions and experiences to deliberate, to consider, to learn together.
The Trustees have chosen an educational focus rather than one of enforcement. Healthy Families Rotorua is supporting this approach by linking the marae to the survey insights and funding to help them develop their own marae-based wānanga series.
A key outcome is to counter the growing normalisation of alcohol use in whānau spaces including urupā. This normalisation not only jeopardises cultural integrity but also impacts community health. By working with marae and urupā trustees the aim is to educate and revitalise traditional practices, re-establishing cultural norms related to urupā. This approach not only seeks to curb harmful behaviours but also strengthens cultural resilience and builds capability among whānau, hapū, and iwi.
“We believe the best approach is to implement an educational wānanga, so our people have an opportunity to ‘whakawhiti whakaaro’ and gain a deeper understanding of why we need to make our urupā alcohol free again”.
Marae is an essential place where Māori live, learn, work and play – a vital space for Māori to continue to create healthy whānau outcomes. Understanding the impacts alcohol can have whānau, can help bring about systemic change for local communities. While this initiative attempts to mitigate the adverse effects of alcohol, it also serves as a model for similar efforts across other cultural settings. This demonstrates a powerful synergy between cultural revitalisation and health prevention. It fosters systemic changes that uphold cultural integrity, enhance community resilience, and encourages positive health outcomes for Māori.
