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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
Enhancing Food Security and Physical Activity for Māori, Pacific and Low-income Peoples16 17(power, influence), tapu (sacred; forbidden), utu (value), kaitiakitanga (custodianship)manaakitanga (show respect or kindness to), kōtahitanga (unity) and noa (free from16 12 atapu).Use in New ZealandKorikori a IwiKorikori a Iwi was a community development action project that used Māori culture as abasis for encouraging good nutrition and regular physical exercise in five Māoricommunities. The community's knowledge base, in this case that of te ao Māori, wasused to achieve the programme’s objectives. Furthermore, formative evaluation wasutilised to explore the significance of tikanga and related strategies as a vehicle forchange, increased capacity and community resource development. 19The local and cultural basis of the programme was seen as the critical strength of thesuccess of the Korikori a Iwi programme. In a formal evaluation to determine theeffectiveness of Maori models of practice within Korikori a Iwi, it was stated that ‘it wouldnot have happened without the cultural approach – culture is the binder of exercise andnutrition’. 19Māori traditional games and weaponry were repackaged as forms of exercise, learningand coordination skills development. For example:• kapa haka and the use of te reo Māori was used to develop personal skills andleadership,• marae were used by whānau for wananga (learning sessions) which focused onincreasing mental, physical, and spiritual wellness, practical nutrition sessionsand peer sports training,• waka ama activities catered for all age groups and levels of ability, and• regular hikoi (walks) to historic places of local significance not only providedexercise, but also encouraged a deeper understanding of the naturalenvironment and led to identification of native plants and sharing of knowledgearound traditional Māori practices.Many examples throughout the first year of Korikori a Iwi demonstrated the hugepotential for grounding healthy lifestyles programmes in cultural practices such astikanga. This was displayed by the increased uptake of traditional activities, the ability oflocals to embrace whakapapa and community links and aspirations, and the training ofseveral trainers who increased the number of whānau exposed to cultural forms ofexercise and well-being. 19Tāia Te KawaTāia Te Kawa is an educational programme that is being developed at Te Wānanga-o-Raukawa and introduces both theoretical and practical aspects of health and fitness.Tāia Te Kawa draws on two key aspects of Māori health promotion: first, it utilises Māorihealth perspectives to endorse health and well-being as integral to everyday living;second, it highlights key Māori cultural components including kawa (protocol), tikangaa Please note all translations from Māori to English use the following reference source: Ryan,P.M., P.M. Ryan's dictionary of modern Māori. 4th ed. 1994, Auckland, N.Z.: Heinemann.184
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