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.
Aria graduated with her PhD, Tika Tonu: Young Māori Mothers’ Experiences of Wellbeing Surrounding the Birth of their First Tamaiti completed in 2018 through Victoria University of Wellington. Since then she has been awarded a prestigious three-year Health Research Council of New Zealand (HRC) Erihapeti Rehu-Murchie Postdoctoral Fellowship. During the term of the award, Aria is piloting, and investigating, a marae-based Māori child and maternal wellbeing model based on the findings of her PhD. This year, she started actualising the model by crafting the space, connections, and philosophical base of Mamia, drawing on local hapū and iwi constructs to earth, steer, and position the kaupapa. Aria’s doctoral research concluded that for a Mamia model to ‘work’, the theory must go hand-in-hand with the environment. Her postdoctoral investigation is exploring the validity of that conclusion.
Mamia is a Kaupapa Māori model about nurture and empowerment and is being piloted from Waipatu Marae in Heretaunga (Hastings) in Te Matau-a-Māui (Hawke’s Bay). It relies on tikanga Māori and the contribution and love of ‘nannies’, ‘aunties’ and whānau from the community to guide and nurture young māmā and hapū wāhine. With the support of Whakauae, the HRC, Waipatu, the community, Aria’s whānau and networks, Mamia is taking shape. Whilst there was no funding to implement the Mamia model, aroha has breathed life into the intent.
Despite the restrictions surrounding Covid-19, mahi has continued and no time or opportunity has been spared in the development of the Mamia infrastructure. After a few months of grit and grind, and the recent submission of a research ethics application for review, Mamia is holding space waiting to welcome young māmā and hapū wāhine. The model will then be implemented, and its effectiveness comprehensively investigated. Aria feels that the creation and progression of Mamia is paving the way for exciting rangahau Māori and is loving her mahi! To see the journey to date, visit Mamia on Facebook.
