enhancing food security and physical activity for maori, pacific and ...

Enhancing Food Security and Physical Activity for Māori, Pacific and Low-income PeoplesProblem definitionIn order to reduce the incidence and prevalence of obesity and its related diseases inMāori it makes sense to address physical activity levels as part of the solution. TheENHANCE team conducted two Māori specific workshops and asked what interventionswould aid in the provision of culturally-appropriate physical activity programmes. A keyfinding was the inclusion of tikanga in physical activity programmes for Māori, the issuethat this paper explores in more depth.Tikanga is an area that has been well defined. 1-8 The link between philosophies oftikanga and health and inequalities is also well established. 6-11 In contrast, there appearsto be little research on how tikanga can be used as a vehicle to promote physical activityin Māori. This chapter will briefly define tikanga and consider various aspects of itsapplication to physical activity programmes.MethodsA brief literature review was performed utilising these databases: INNZ, Ebsco Australianand New Zealand Reference, Google Scholar, Te Puna and the Otago LibraryCatalogue. The search terms used were Māori, tikanga, Te Ao Kori, hauora,manaakitanga, whānaungatanga, rangatiratanga, kōtahitanga, kaitiakitanga,maramatanga and wairuatanga. In addition, five key informant interviews wereconducted to inform this chapter. Interviewees were recognised academics withexpertise in Māori culture and physical activity, and developers and deliverers ofculturally appropriate physical activity programmes.Literature Review: National contextDefining tikanga is a difficult task as definitions are varied and have changed over time. 12Tikanga is often translated into English as ‘custom or culture’; however, this is only onepart of the meaning. 13 14 15The root word for tikanga is ‘tika’ which translates as right.The second part of the word ‘nga’ makes the word a plural. 15 The act of practicingtikanga means that one’s behaviour must be in a manner that is appropriate for the givensituation, 14 and meeting the obligations that any situation may impose on you. 16 Tikangahas also been described as essentially the Māori way of doing things, from the mundaneto the most sacred or important field of human endeavour. 17 Durie states that tikanga, inan environmental context, ‘refers to the preferred way of protecting natural resources,exercising guardianship, determining responsibilities and obligations, and protecting theinterests of future generations’. 7 Mead believed tikanga to be a set of beliefs and valuescontributing to how Māori think, understand and act. 12 However, Durie stated thattraditional values provide future direction and this direction should not be restricted bytradition. 6 Hence, from the above definitions it would appear that tikanga is not a set ofrigid rules, but a set of values that should govern the most appropriate way to act in agiven situation.Although aspects of tikanga are common to all Māori, the way in which they are upheldmay differ from iwi to iwi, hapū to hapū, and even whānau to whānau. Every iwi with itshapū and whānau has a rich heritage with its own set of tikanga. 18 Also, it is important toconsider that although tikanga is based on acting in a fashion that is appropriate with thesituation, it generally has several key Māori philosophies that underpin such actions.These philosophies have been described as whānaungatanga (relationships), mana183