The research explores the perceptions of public health among past and current Whakauae staff, delving into the unique ways they define and approach public health through a Māori lens. By doing so, this project seeks to establish a Māori-centred public health framework – one that reflects Whakauae’s values, honours Hauiti mātauranga, and serves as a guide for future research initiatives.

This PhD research project, based at Whakauae in Whanganui and supported by Whakauae and Auckland University of Technology (AUT), explores how Tāne Māori (Māori men) of Te Awa Tupua (the Whanganui-Rangitīkei-Ruapehu region) maintain their wellbeing through engagement with Taiao (the natural environment).

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At Whakauae, our commitment to producing research that fosters positive change for Māori communities is ongoing. We recognize that effective dissemination is essential for bridging the gap between research and policy, practice, and the everyday lives of whānau Māori. While acknowledging the importance of dissemination is the first step, understanding how to define and enact it requires careful consideration of its complexities.

This research project, exploring the deeper meaning of Rongoā Māori (traditional Māori healing), was a three-year, HRC-funded study hosted by Whakauae Research.   Building on previous work undertaken by members of the research team, the research purpose was to identify and articulate the contribution that Rongoā makes to the health and wellbeing of the Aotearoa New Zealand population and to our environments. Furthermore,we aspired to reinstate wider understandings of the nature of Rongoā and restore a Māori philosophy of wellbeing to our communities.The project collected data from both Rongoā practitioners and their patients. The data was analysed and synthesised to create a map of the Rongoā biosphere as a graphic representation of the principles and practices of Māori healing.

This research project, exploring the deeper meaning of Rongoā Māori (traditional Māori healing), is a three-year HRC funded study hosted by Whakauae Research.   Building on previous work undertaken by members of the research team, the research will identify and articulate the contribution that Rongoā makes to the health and wellbeing of the Aotearoa New Zealand population and to our environments, seek to reinstate wider understanding of the nature of Rongoā and restore a Māori philosophy of wellbeing to our communities.

The project will collect data from both Rongoā practitioners and their patients. The data will be analysed and synthesised to create a map of the Rongoā biosphere as a graphic representation of the principles and practices of Māori healing.

Kia Puāwai is a programme of research that is dedicated to generating Māori knowledge to find new solutions to improve the health and wellbeing of all whānau Māori. Four specific research projects have been designed to work together to present new, aspirational and solutions-based thinking.

Te Pou Herenga is a repository of Ngāti Hauiti mātauranga in the form of a book. The whakaaro for the development of Te Pou Herenga came from an understanding that the Rātā marae paepae kōrero and the pari karanga is growing smaller. There is consequently a need to build Hauititanga capability, in order to pass on those types of mātauranga and kōrero tuku iho to descendants.

This small research project is supported by the Independent Research Organisation Capability (IROC) funding awarded to Whakauae by the Health Research Council (HRC) in 2022.

Whakauae has a long history of supporting and building Māori student development and emerging researchers and leading new Māori researchers in the field of Māori and Indigenous research. Our scholarships have been awarded to students at Undergraduate, Masters, Doctoral and Post-Doctoral levels and are tailored to the needs of the student as well as contributing to Whakauae’s vision of transforming Māori lives through excellent research.

This research project, exploring the deeper meaning of Rongoā Maori (traditional Māori healing), is a three-year, HRC-funded study hosted by Whakauae Research.

The evolving Covid-19 pandemic has re-focused attention on the role of public health globally. This webinar, held as part of the ongoing 7-Directions Indigenous Public Health Institute’s “Gathering Grounds” series, looked at the experiences and responses of Indigenous communities in Aotearoa and the US to the worldwide outbreak.

This research project, exploring the deeper meaning of Rongoā Maori (traditional Māori healing), is a three-year HRC funded study hosted by Whakauae Research.

Te Kākano Rangatahi Programme was developed and delivered by Whanganui-based Māori health and social services provider, Te Oranganui Trust. Funded by Ministry of Health through the Te Ao Auahatanga Hauora Māori: Māori Health Innovation Fund, its aims are to include a specific mātauranga Māori approach and co-design methodology intended to actively engage rangatahi (16-24 years).

The Tapestry of Truth Rangatahi Programme was developed and delivered by Whanganui-based Māori health and social services provider, Te Oranganui Trust. Oranga Tamariki and Te Hiringa Hauora provided funding to support implementation of the programme. The aim of the programme was to provide young males aged 12- 15 years with specialised support and mentoring to address the issues in their lives and improve their health and wellbeing. Using a whānau-centred approach, the programme provided a safe, positive atmosphere for rangatahi to learn and develop pathways that will allow them to confidently lead healthy lives and eventually become self-managing and empowering leaders.

In 2019 Whakauae were approached by Te Puni Kōkiri regarding the possibility of undertaking some research into the wellbeing needs of residents of the Chatham Islands. The aim of the study was to explore the self-identified wellbeing needs of the Islands’ population. It was expected that study findings would be used to advocate for more sustainable and longer-term targeted funding which better addresses whānau/hunau needs.

This three-year, HRC-funded study is investigating the traditional end-of-life Māori care customs that whānau draw on to strengthen their end-of-life caregiving activities and support palliative care service provision. The research is hosted by the Te Ārai Palliative Care and End of Life Research Group at the University of Auckland, where Principal Investigator Dr Tess Moeke-Maxwell (Ngāi Tai, Ngāti Porou) is based. She is supported by Te Ārai’s Kaumatua Rōpū, led by Rawiri Wharemate (Ngātiwai, Ngāti Moerewa, Ngā Puhi). The research team brought together for the study include academics from the University of Auckland such as Professors Linda Nikora and Merryn Gott, Dr Amohia Boulton from Whakauae, health professionals such as Dr Keri Ratima, representatives from hospice, as well as other research assistants and students.

‘Perceptions of Papakāinga: An examination of ‘home’ and how to cater services for Māori’ was a 12-month study undertaken by Whakauae Research in partnership with Wai Research to explore comparative Māori views of ‘home’ in the Rangitīkei and Tāmaki Makaurau.

Funded by Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga, the research project was designed to address the current lack of evidence and knowledge concerning Māori perceptions, experiences, and realities of what is needed from policy and service design for Māori to not just have a house, but to ‘be at home’ where and how they choose. While ‘home’ has been explored within research as a multifaceted concept, little is known about the different elements of ‘home’ within Māori experience, or the diverse complexities that shape that experience.

At the end of 2020, Whakauae Research Services and Awa FM (Te Reo Irirangi o Whanganui) came together to discuss a joint research project. The aim of this two-stage project is to gain an understanding of how te reo is adding to the quality of life for Māori in the Awa FM broadcast region.

Te Maioha o Mamia, or Mamia, is Dr Aria Graham’s postdoc mahi. Aria is a registered nurse who is working for Whakauae as a researcher. Aria’s passion, and the incentive for her mahi, comes from her love of tamariki and wanting authentic and culturally grounded models of wellbeing derived from the voices of tamariki Māori and their mothers, for tamariki Māori and their mothers.

Routinely collected health data has been successfully used to describe ‘the problem’ of persisting inequalities and to inform potential solutions. Increasing attention is now being paid to the utility of data and to its relevance. Using a Kaupapa Māori approach, this three-year study is exploring how routinely collected Māori specific health data, gathered at the DHB level and reported by the Ministry of Health, can be optimally used by Māori leaders, DHB leaders and other decision-makers to stimulate improvements in health outcomes for Māori.

The purpose of this project is to undertake the preliminary work necessary for a larger study that will explore how comparative views of “home” may relate to concepts such as identity, whakapapa, and hauora and how these concepts thereby impact decisions regarding access to (particularly) health services, as well as service utilisation and uptake in two areas – the Rangitīkei and Tāmaki Makaurau.

In 2018, the Cultural, Ethical, Research, Legal and Scientific (CERLS) Issues in Rongoā Maori Research Guidelines was launched as the result of Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga seeding funding research.  As a commitment to the ongoing pastoral care of these Guidelines, we committed to conducting a review every two years to monitor impact and influences on the Rongoā and research communities. A bi-annual meeting was held on Wednesday 03 June 2020, during which a planned review was conducted by Dr Amohia Boulton, Donna Kerridge and Dr Glenis Mark.

This is a rangatahi innovation project (link to https://www.teoranganui.co.nz/waiora-whanau) delivered by Te Oranganui Trust, a Māori Health and Social Services Provider in Whanganui. The innovation is funded through the Te Ao Auahatanga Hauora Māori: Māori Health Innovation Fund 2018-2022 from their Te Kākano/Seeding Innovation category.  

The innovation aims to better integrate cultural, social and health services for  rangatahi Māori in Whanganui with a single point of entry into a rangatahi health and well-being hub. The innovation targets rangatahi and their whānau who have multidimensional needs. These are addressed on an individual basis through supported pathways that allow them to make informed decisions on self-care; mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually.

This three-year, HRC-funded study is investigating the traditional end-of-life Māori care customs that whānau draw on to strengthen their end-of-life caregiving activities and support palliative care service provision. The research is hosted by the Te Ārai Palliative Care and End of Life Research Group at the University of Auckland, where Principal Investigator Dr Tess Moeke-Maxwell (Ngāi Tai, Ngāti Porou) is based. She is supported by Te Ārai’s Kaumatua Roopu, led by Rawiri Wharemate (Ngātiwai, Ngāti Moerewa, Ngā Puhi). The research team brought together for the study include academics from the University of Auckland such as Professors Linda Nikora and Merryn Gott, Dr Amohia Boulton from Whakauae, health professionals such as Dr Keri Ratima, representatives from hospice, as well as other research assistants and students.

This Kaupapa Māori study is drawing on a simple mixed methods approach to examine the understandings and experiences of 25 whānau. Data collection is primarily being conducted using a one-off survey that incorporates both closed and open-ended questions. Whānau have the opportunity to self-administer the survey online with the lead researcher available to assist where required. Alternatively, whānau can participate in a session with the lead researcher to together complete the survey.

Routinely collected health data has been successfully used to describe “the problem” of persisting inequalities and to inform potential solutions. Increasing attention is now being paid to the utility of data and to its relevance. Taking a Kaupapa Māori approach, this three-year study is exploring how routinely collected Māori specific health data, gathered at the DHB level and reported by the Ministry of Health, can be optimally used by Māori leaders, DHB leaders and other decision-makers to stimulate improvements in health outcomes for Māori.

This rangatahi wellbeing quantitative research project aims to improve the policy and service interventions that support rangatahi wellbeing by making high-quality information available to inform iwi and regional Māori development planning. The work is intended to contribute to the enhanced targeting of interventions and monitoring of rangatahi outcomes.

Te Ara Auahi Kore (the TAKE Project) is a three-year Health Research Council of New Zealand funded research project seeking to understand-and reduce- disproportionally high rates of smoking among Māori.

Chronic conditions such as asthma, heart disease and diabetes are major health issues that significantly impact Māori. Preventing Chronic Conditions (PCC) was a three-year project funded by the Health Research Council of New Zealand (HRC). The project took a Māori-centred approach to carrying out comparative case studies in partnership with three Māori health providers: Te Oranganui Iwi Health Authority in Whanganui, Tui Ora in Taranaki and Poutini Waiora on the West Coast of the South Island. The research looked at prevention related activities within these providers to gain an understanding of how programmes can work to avoid conditions such as these from occurring in the first place.

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The collaborative STEPS research project started in 2014 and is being carried out by a team comprising Indigenous and non-Indigenous partners on both sides of the Tasman. The team is led by Dr Amohia Boulton and Associate Professor Margaret Cargo (University of Canberra). A fuller description of the STEPS research has previously been posted (refer below).

In January 2017, a collaboration between Whakauae Research for Māori Health and Development, the research arm of Ngāti Hauiti, and Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Hauiti saw the development of He Tomokanga Hou, a 17-month research study. The aim of the study, launched soon after, is to explore the link between culture and wellbeing by investigating the process of restoring the tomokanga whakairo at Rātā marae. Supported and sponsored by the iwi leadership, rangatahi have been encouraged to take an active role in the research. Subsequently, rangatahi have been recruited through Te Rūnanga, He Whetu Arataki (the Youth Leadership Programme) along with wider whānau members recruited through Ngāti Hauiti networks. Participants have been exposed to the research process and had  an opportunity to explore how important whakairo, whakapapa, waiata and other “tangible” taonga are, to both young and old.

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Whakauae Research Services, the University of Auckland and Waikato University have partnered to undertake research looking at hospital transfers for Māori. The project is funded through Ngā Pae o te Māramatangā and is titled: Hospital Transfers, whānau involvement in the healing equation.

In 2014, the three-year Te Puawai o Te Ahi (TPoTAK) project was awarded funding through the MoH Māori Innovations Fund. A collaboration between Raetihi Pah and Te Oranganui Trust, the project aim was to strengthen the health and wellbeing of those whānau who maintain the Ahi Kaa to ensure the future sustainability of the paepae and marae.

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Dr Heather Gifford was approached by Kiri Parata and her iwi, Te Atiawa ki Waikanae to assist in the development of an HRC application to the Ngā Kanohi Kitea fund. The application was successful and Dr Gifford supported Ms Parata as she led this project for her whānau. The study aimed to explore the impact of active participation in marae and iwi activities on the health, wellbeing and sense of connectedness of iwi members.

Whakauae was subcontracted by Allan and Clarke to contribute to the evaluation of the progress and effectiveness of the Ministry of Health’s Maternity Quality and Safety Programme (MQSP). The MQSP programme has been operating in each DHB since 2012, with initial funding provided until 30 June 2015, after which time DHBs were expected to operate MQSPs as business as usual. The Ministry of Health sought an evaluation which would inform decisions regarding continued funding of the programme, and improvements to the programme. The evaluation particularly focused on what has worked at a local (District Health Board) level to improve the safety and quality of maternity services.

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In 2015 we used data from documents, in-depth interviews, small workshops and a symposium to develop options and recommendations for extending smokefree outdoor areas in Wellington.

The University of Otago led this project, which was successful in being awarded funding for the study from the Ministry of Health Innovation Fund. The project tested the latest advanced, rapid-acting, nicotine replacement therapies (NRT), taking these direct to smokers in localities such as shopping malls. As part of the study Whakauae provided advice on engagement with Māori and relevant research methods and analysis.

Whakauae has been subcontracted by the University of Otago to lead the Māori stream of this three-year project. The overall aim of the research is to determine how young adult smokers and social smokers define “informed choice”, and to develop and evaluate methods of estimating “informed choice”.

We carried out an intensive process and short-term outcomes evaluation of the Whanganui Regional Health Network’s locally developed Early Pregnancy Assessment Approach (EPAA) in the first half of 2015.

This work builds on results from a previous Whakauae research project, Māori Nurses and Smoking; Exploring the opportunities for change. In this new project we are piloting an intervention in four nursing schools which is aimed at ensuring all Māori nurses who graduate are smokefree. The intervention uses a supportive wānanga approach to bring smokers together to discuss tensions, evidence for quit and link participants with a range of services and support systems.

Mana Tamariki Mokopuna Mana Whānau (MTMMW) is an intervention that represents a new model of service delivery. It focuses on addressing the needs of vulnerable young Māori women, their pēpi, tamariki and whānau who reside on the West Coast of the South Island. In 2014, Poutini Waiora engaged Whakauae to develop and implement a process and outcomes evaluation of the intervention.

Te Puawai o Te Ahi Kaa (TPoTAK) Project is being collaboratively undertaken by Raetihi Pah and Te Oranganui Iwi Health Authority. This innovative Kaupapa Māori initiative is based on the role of the marae as the house of the hapū; the place of cultural sustenance and vitality for whānau. It recognises that the health and wellbeing of those whānau who maintain the ahi kaa is critical to the sustainability of the paepae and marae.

We carried out a process and short – medium term outcomes evaluation of the Taranaki Māmā Pēpē Hauora (MPH) Programme, which we completed in the second half of 2015. The MPH Programme was initiated in mid-2013 following a successful response by the Taranaki District Health Board, and its strategic partners, to a Ministry of Health request for proposals. The Programme seeks to improve the health and wellbeing of mothers and their children through better nutrition, including breastfeeding, and regular physical activity.

In this project, the views of Māori were explored in relation to health, experience of rongoā Māori, experience of primary health services and the integration of rongoā Māori with primary health care.

In this 42-month study, we are examining how the primary and secondary prevention of chronic conditions is being modelled, practiced and measured in three case study sites; to define what short term outcomes are being achieved; and enable naturalistic generalisation to be made to inform wider health service development. A collective case study design, utilising qualitative and evaluation-based research methods, will examine the three case studies. Data will be interrogated across three levels, policy (government), practice (provider) and whānau (community).

The HRC Writing Workshops have been run by Whakauae since 2009, in a variety of formats and locations, but always with the same primary objective, namely to increase the number and quality of applications made by Māori researchers to the HRC’s various funding rounds.

In this three-year project, we sought to identify the health service arrangements that best support traditional rongoā Māori practice in a contemporary setting. Using a Māori-centred approach, and a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods, the research aimed to identify the features of health service arrangements that are both consistent with principles of rongoā practice and that ensure cultural integrity.

The Rangitīkei Iwi of Ngāti Apa and Mōkai Pātea identified a collective need to access good quality information about their individual iwi populations. Te Kete Tū Ātea Phase 2 study builds on previous HRC funded research that developed an information framework for each iwi, namely, Te Kete Tū Ātea. Whakauae has funded Phase 2 implementation of the framework testing utility and impact of the framework using data from the economic domain. The intended outcome will be iwi leaders and governors utilising information to achieve evidence-informed decisions.

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Māori overrepresentation in care and protection of tamariki/mokopuna is continuing to rise, increasing the risk of incidents of child abuse and removal of mokopuna from whānau. However, resources for the care and protection of mokopuna have tended to overlook the contribution of positive change models initiated by Māori parents and grandparents. The aim of this research is to ascertain and articulate the positive contribution that can be made by Māori parents and grandparents to the care and protection of their tamariki/mokopuna.

At Raetihi Pah, local hapū members are leading a four-year Ministry of Health funded Innovation project; Te Puawai o Te Ahi Kaa (TPoTAK). This project is in partnership with Te Oranganui Iwi Health Authority and Whakauae Research (as evaluation support). TPoTAK seeks to enhance the wellbeing of whānau who have remained living locally by mapping the historical wellbeing of whānau as well as identifying the current health and wellbeing status of members

In this 42-month, HRC-funded study, we are examining how the primary and secondary prevention of chronic conditions is being modelled, practiced and measured in three case study sites.  Read on for the latest update on this project.

During 2014, Whakauae was commissioned by jigsaw whanganui to carry out an evaluation of the agency’s White Water Years Parenting Programme. The evaluation was largely funded through a Lotteries Board grant with the final report being completed in November 2014.