Māori community action and responses to severe weather events

Interns

Harmony Kubiack, Massey University

Supervisor

Dr Elle (Eleanor) Brittain, Massey University

Overview

Māori community responses have provided an invaluable resource in crisis and emergency situations. For example, during the Covid-19 epidemic respective Māori community responses were rapid and innovative, often drawing on tikanga Māori and essential principles such as tino rangatiratanga (Te One & Clifford, 2021). This internship project explores a localised Māori community’s response to recent severe weather events in Hawkes Bay, to understand how tikanga and Māori cultural values were applied and to explore strengths and resources within Māori communities, embedded in cultural values and practices, and the ways these have positively influenced Māori wellbeing. 

The overall objective of the internship was to canvass a localised Māori community’s response to severe weather events and to highlight the implications for psychology.