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Karen Below Te Arawa, Ngāti Whakaue, Ngāti Rangiwewehi
BHSc.OT, Masters of Organisational Change
Evolution Healthcare, New Zealand
Wairuatanga unveiled - using matihiko kōrerotia
Below, K.
15-minute Oral Presentation
Tuesday 10 December, 2:50pm
Purpose: Matihiko kōrerotia (digital storytelling) documents the traditional wairuatanga-based healing experiences of three wāhine Māori with mental health disruption. This study captures the use of cell phones and ancestral pūrakau, as tools to promote Māori ki Māori solutions for mauri ora.
Methods: This study adopts Kiri Mamai Dell's Rongomātau method, supporting wāhine Māori participants, to engage in group wairua wānanga. The wānanga are centred on Pūrakau Ō Papatūānuku. Participants are encouraged to self-reflect, exchange stories and digital images, at 3 key milestones, initial, midway and final wairua wānanga. Concluding with, Matihiko Kōrero Poroporoaki as a community celebration of mauri-ora.
Results: This study reveals ancestral wisdom of Pūrakau as a path to Ūkaipō (the source of sustenance), through shared wairuatanga experiences. Reflective journals highlight key themes of interconnectedness through Rongomātau, using an autoethnographic approach.
Conclusions: Reclaiming mātauranga of Pūrakau for Mauri Ora healing, using Matihiko Kōrero has the potential to be transformative in addressing mental health disruption for wāhine Māori. Embracing the potential of combining ancestral knowledge and technology to promote Māori ki Māori solutions for mauri ora.
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