Aaron Smale (Ngati Porou, Nga Puhi, Whakatohea), Victoria, University of Wellington
Although there is a significant research showing Maori are over represented in negative social statistics, there has been very little research connecting these statistics to the impacts of abuse in social welfare custody. For Maori to flourish, particularly those in hard to reach communities such as gangs and prisons, this narrative needs to be told. My research will help victims and wider society understand the impacts this dark chapter in New Zealand history has had on Maori and the country as a whole. This understanding will lead to more effective responses to those impacts.