Tāngata Māori Perspectives on Wellness When Resettling in the Community

Abstract

The research inquiry into Tāngata Māori Perspectives on Wellness when Resettling in the Community examines the conceptualisation of wellness and tautoko (support) from the viewpoint of Māori people who have been released from prison. Specifically, tāngata Māori experiences of moving from prison to the community, and the ways in which wellness plays a significant role in successful resettlement, have been analysed within a kaupapa Māori framework. Based on in-depth interviews with five Māori adult participants who identify as men, women, and non-binary, the research finds out the kinds of tautoko that helped them maintain a sense of personal wellness, and in the process, minimised the risk that they might reoffend and re-enter the justice and prison system.

Wellness and tautoko are interpreted in this study as concepts and practices contextualised by the post-prison experiences of Māori people. They are therefore terms that can take on Māori cultural values and differ somewhat from English language meanings. In a Māori cultural context, tautoko when applied to supporting the resettlement process of Māori people indicates a number of sentiments and actions: such as showing care or advocating for tāngata Māori; propping them up by exchanging cultural wisdom and stories to give them strength to carry on their journey; or simply by showing social acceptance and affirming Māori people for who they are.

A synthesis of kaupapa Māori and qualitative research approaches has been used to undertake the collection of data and analyse the research findings. Moreover, Mason Durie’s te whare tapa whā model of hauora in a Māori cultural context was employed to explain the multiple ways in which Māori participants made sense of their personal experiences of wellness and tautoko in relation to successfully resettling in the community. In all, this thesis makes a case for culture-informed research into the lived experiences of Māori ex-prisoners where the participants’ voices are positioned at the heart of the study.