A background document to support Kia Piki Te Ora O Te ... - SPINZ

Above all, irrespective of a loss of consciousness and knowledge about whakapapa, Mäori youth do have
whakapapa which potentially binds them to a caring Mäori community. However, that relationship is a
reciprocal one. Mäori communities including Mäori youth must be instrumental in the realisation of Mäori
youth potential and the strengthening of whakapapa as Mäori.
Goal three: cultural development
To increase the role of cultural (tikanga) development as a protective factor for taitamariki Māori
This goal recognises that Mäori youth are unique as Mäori and that if the conditions could be recreated
whereby the positive aspects of being Mäori were brought into a contemporary setting, this may protect
Mäori youth from some of the risk factors for suicide. It is based on the belief that Mäori youth problems
are partly a result of being alienated from cultural values and identity. It is also about the lack of rules for
conduct that create a reciprocal responsibility for the maintenance and protection of whakapapa.
As has already been discussed, cultural development can occur in the most colonised of indigenous
populations, as the Alaskan community suicide prevention programmes demonstrate. However, it requires
cultural experts who know how to combine cultural practices with contemporary realities.
Goal four: support of mainstream
To encourage and assist mainstream services
to respond appropriately and effectively to the needs of taitamariki Māori
The majority of Mäori youth receive mainstream services particularly through the education system. It is
important to note that 25% of all Mäori suicides occur in a mainstream setting – in prisons. It is the view of
the author that misdiagnosis of Mäori in the mental health services means that Mäori are the casualties of a
mental health service that cannot cater for them.
Therefore, it is imperative that mainstream services are encouraged to deliver a safe level of service to Mäori.
This is to reduce the potential for mainstream services to create secondary victims of Mäori youth (that is,
Mäori youth are victimised because they are Mäori and victimised a second time by mainstream services that
fail them).
It is also important to understand that what has been advocated in this strategy is a Mäori development
approach. That will take time. However, in the meantime, and alongside Mäori development, mainstream
development cannot be overlooked because of the fact that many Mäori interact, and will probably continue
to do so, with the mental health services.
Goal five: information and research
To improve the understanding of the causes and the true level of suicide amongst taitamariki Māori
In 1994 Disley noted that there was a lack of information about New Zealand youth suicide. 140 This is still
relevant in 1997.
There is almost no research or information about the causes and true level of Mäori youth suicide that can be
used to inform prevention efforts. The way in which Mäori youth suicide statistics are collected is seriously
deficient. It is debatable whether the collection of Mäori youth suicide statistics is an effective use of
resources when the critical success factors of Mäori health programmes may be a better way to programme
for the prevention of Mäori youth suicide.
A REVIEW OF EVIDENCE: KIA PIKI TE ORA O TE TAITAMARIKI – THE NEW ZEALAND YOUTH SUICIDE PREVENTION STRATEGY
However, where decisions such as whether there is or is not a ‘real’ Mäori youth suicide problem are being
made by comparison between Mäori and non-Mäori youth suicide data it becomes important to be able to
identify the deficiencies in current data collection processes for Mäori. Further, anecdotal reports suggest that
the number of Mäori youth suicides is significantly higher than officially reported suicide statistics. These
PAGE 33