Indigenous Existentialism and the Body

This article begins a discussion on indigenous existentialism. The theme developed as a result of engagement at the intersection between Indigenous Studies and Cultural Studies, and the realisation that cultural concepts often canonised within Indigenous Studies departments, such as tradition and authenticity (when exclusive), detract from the conception of indigenous culture as part of the immediate material reality of indigenous lives. In turn, when indigenous culture is too often defined only in relation to an imagined authentic past, indigenous existentialism is inhibited because indigenous people lack a conscious awareness of cultural immediacy. There is nothing more immediate than the body and, thus, I began to theorise indigenous existentialism through an analyses of the indigenous body, its genealogy, and its immediacy. To help me process this theorisation I engage with current Cultural Studies debates surrounding the analyses of the body. I conclude that an indigenous existentialism will recognise that the power of the body is still unknown

Indigenous bodies: Ordinary lives

Ambivalence is the overwhelming feeling that haunts my relationship with physicality. Not only my body, but the bodies of an imagined multitude of Indigenous peoples dissected and made whole again via the violent synthesis of the colonial project. Like my own ambivalence (and by “ambivalence” I refer to simultaneous abhorrence and desire), the relationship between Indigenous peoples and physicality faces the anxiety of representation felt within Indigenous studies in general

Weaving past, present, and future

Recently appointed Editorial Board Chair, Professor Brendan Hokowhitu presents his first Editorial for the Journal of Indigenous Wellbeing: Te Mauri – Pimatisiwin. His philosophical discussion weaves together the past, present and future considering the idea of Indigenous wellbeing

Kaumātua mana motuhake: Kaumātua managing life-transitions through tuakana-teina/peer-education

People face signifi cant transition points as they age, such as loss of independent living, loss of a spouse and changing health conditions. Successfully navigating these transitions depends on being able to manage emotional and socio-economic factors, as well as service systems, while often being reliant on family or whānau. Historically however, kaumātua have faced a dominant society that has failed to realise their full potential as they age. Yet, for Māori, kaumātua are “carriers of culture, anchors for families, models for lifestyle, bridges to the future, guardians of heritage and role models for younger generations.” Kaumātua mana motuhake is invested in upholding kaumātua tino rangatiratanga (independence and autonomy) via high-quality Māori research that will lead to better life outcomes for kaumātua and their whā nau

Enhancing well-being and social connectedness for Maori elders through a peer education (Tuakana-Teina) programme: A cross-sectional baseline study

Background: Māori kaumātua (elders) face stark health and social inequities compared to non-Māori New Zealanders. The tuakana-teina (older sibling-younger sibling) peer education programme is a strengths-based approach to enhance well-being and social connectedness. The purpose of this study is to present the baseline data from this programme and identify correlates of well-being outcomes. Method: Participants included 128 kaumātua who completed a self-report survey about health-related quality of life, spirituality, social connection and loneliness, life satisfaction, cultural identity and connection, elder abuse, health service utilisation and demographics. Findings: Multiple regression models illustrated the following correlates of outcomes: (a) self-rated health: needing more help with daily tasks (β = −0.36) and housing problems (β = –0.17); (b) health-related quality of life: needing more help with daily tasks (β = –0.31), housing problems (β = –0.21), and perceived autonomy (β = 0.19); (c) spiritual well-being: understanding of tikanga (cultural protocols) (β = 0.32) and perceived autonomy (β = 0.23); (d) life satisfaction: social support (β = 0.23), sense of purpose (β = 0.23), cultural identity (β = 0.24), trouble paying bills (β = –0.16), and housing problems (β = –0.16); (e) loneliness: elder abuse (β = 0.27), social support (β = –0.21), and missing pleasure of being with whānau (extended family) (β = 0.19). Conclusions: Key correlates for outcomes centred on social support, housing problems, cultural connection and perceived autonomy. These correlates are largely addressed through the programme where tuakana/peer educators provide support and links to social and health services to teina/peer recipients in need. This study illustrates needs and challenges for kaumātua, whilst the larger programme represents a strengths-based and culturally-centred approach to address health issues related to ageing in an Indigenous population

The Death of Koro Paka: “Traditional” Maori Patriarchy

This article is underpinned by the simple question of what knowledge is produced about Mäori men and why. In particular, it deconstructs the invention, authentication, and re-authentication of “traditional” Mäori patriarchy. It begins by examining how Mäori patriarchy was invented and authenticated through the hybridization of Mäori and British masculine cultures, especially through the early colonial education of a select few Mäori boys, who were subjects of a British public schooling technique. The article draws from this historical analysis to demonstrate how Mäori patriarchy continues to be authenticated in today’s popular culture. Here, the contemporary re-authentication of Mäori patriarchy is drawn attention to through a deconstruction of the film Whale Rider. This film analysis argues that Whale Rider deploys a dangerous confl ation of representation and reality, which ultimately re-authenticates the invented tradition of Mäori patriarchy. The article is less concerned with denouncing particular tropes of Mäori men as “false” and more with how such “truths” have come to be privileged; it also seeks to uncloak the processes that produce Mäori masculine subjectivities