“He uri au nō tēnei whenua” ( I am a descendant of this land): Whakapapa, Whenua and Kaumātua Hauora

Abstract

This paper draws on material from a research study exploring mātau-ranga Māori (Māori ways of knowing the world) in relation to hauora (health and wellbeing) in the discourse of kaumātua (elders). Local kaumātua community researchers worked alongside a team from the James Henare Research Centre at Waipapa Taumata Rau | The University of Auckland to set up a study which involved six noho wānanga (meetings involving overnight stays) in localities in four regions in the northern and central North Island, Aotearoa New Zealand.
Foregrounding the voices and lived experiences of kaumātua, we found many similarities across groups in their lives as older persons. They enjoyed the company of whānau, friends and especially mokopuna (grandchildren); they undertook responsibilities expected of kaumātua in Māori society; they faced challenges from illness, disability and bereavement and from dealing with health services. Differences between groups arose from their different localities, with whenua influencing their lives in distinctive ways. It became clear that the health of whenua, shaped by history, geography and socioeconomic forces and differing by locality, is fundamental to kaumātua experiences of health and ageing.
Whakapapa (genealogy) is foundational to mātauranga Māori. Whakapapa descent lines link humans, places and the natural world from shared origins through to the present and future. In interpreting our findings, we make the case that whakapapa explains the significance of whenua in relation to kaumātua health and wellbeing.