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Enhancing Food Security and Physical Activity for Māori, Pacific and Low-income Peoplesknowledge that is specific to Māori. 32 However, there has been criticism that thephysical education curriculum has made the practice of tikanga too simplistic, tokenistic30 33and lacking in context which served only to damage the Māori culture. Māori femalesecondary school students have found Te Reo Kori to only be of use to Pākehā studentsand Māori who do not have any connection to their culture. 34 Similarly, it has beenreported that Te Reo Kori was most beneficial to students who have no link to tikangaMāori. 30 Hence, it would seem that in order for tikanga to be effective in increasingMāori participation in physical activity in a school setting it needs to be meaningful,challenging and complex to be valued. Perhaps, it is fair to assume that these samecriteria would aid in increasing the delivery of tikanga based programmes that wouldincrease the number of Māori partaking in physical activity in other settings.There have been several positive side effects documented from programmes utilisingtikanga. 19 24 25 Eketone observed the bringing together of a wider section of thecommunity, anecdotal evidence of increased self-respect amongst those involved in theprogramme and increased pride in the local community. 24 Furthermore, Henwoodobserved positive spin-offs in education, community and whānau/hapū well-being anddevelopment, and longer-term economic development and tourism opportunities. 19Acceptability to stakeholdersAs mentioned in the previous section, acceptability to stakeholders is dependent on howthe tikanga is delivered and what level of understanding is required to make it30 33meaningful to those participating. This is an area that requires further research.Key Informant Interview ResultsValue of physical activity programmes based on tikangaThere was general consensus amongst key informants that it is imperative that physicalactivity programmes, policies and interventions aimed at Māori are based on tikanga andtraditional Māori philosophies. Furthermore, four key informants agreed that it is evenmore important that there is an understanding of what tikanga Māori actually is andwhere tikanga comes from. Four key informants agreed that tikanga is about doing whatis right for the situation that you are applying it to; with one key informant stating that,more importantly, the principles of tikanga are guided by kawa, which in turn is governedby the atua (gods) that tikanga has whakapapa to.Putting tikanga into practiceFour of the key informants believed that understanding the concept of tikanga and whereit comes from is ‘only half the battle’. There needs to be an understanding of how it is putinto practice. Tikanga has been described as a set of guidelines, but ‘it is also a way oflife’. However, if people are going to stick to the tikanga that is being enforced they needto understand why it is being used. Two key informants went on to add there aredifferent levels of tikanga, such as whānau and individual. In addition, there are differinglevels of understanding of the principles of tikanga. For example, some may be happyjust utilising te reo and whānaungatanga and that is all they are able to understand oruse. However, this may not be enough for others who require a greater level ofunderstanding to feel they are able to follow the tikanga that is being laid down.187
Enhancing Food Security and Physical Activity for Māori, Pacific and Low-income PeoplesOne aspect that all of the key informants agreed on was that one of the most importantaspects of tikanga is that it operates from a Māori world view and incorporates manyother aspects of well-being such as wairuatanga (spirituality), te reo, manaakitanga,whānaungatanga, kaitiakitanga and tino rangatiratanga (self determination).Pre-European and Post-European Games and ActivitiesThere appear to be differing opinions on the best use of tikanga in relation to pre-European and post-European games and activities. One key informant stated that:traditional activities such as Mau Taiaha, Waka Ama, etcetera, have their ownspecific tikanga. For this reason it is important that we focus on promoting andfunding traditional activities and programmes. They are already rich in tikanga sowe do not need to try and create new tikanga to suit the activity. Furthermore,focusing on traditional activities allows Māori people to not only enjoy thephysical benefits of being physically active, but also allows spiritual growth andfulfilment through learning about who we are and where we come from.Achieving total wellbeing can only be realised through tikanga.In contrast, all the other informants believed that it is important that policy does notplace Māori physical activity into a box of traditional or pre-European activities (such aswaka ama, kapa haka, etcetera) or team-based activities, but allows for funding of awide variety of activities that can utilise tikanga philosophies and practices. Morespecifically, pre-European activities provide an excellent medium for the practice oftikanga principles such as use of te reo Māori, karakia, whānaungatanga ormanaakitanga; however, such activities may only appeal to a small proportion of Māori.It is important that policy recognises that any game or activity can be used as a mediumto apply tikanga. If Māori are partaking in skating or surfing, a karakia or haka can beused as a pre-sport activation process equally as much as it can be used before wakaama. One key informant added that there is a general misconception that 'tikanga is onlymeant for the past but it definitely can be applied to the modern environment'.Use in New ZealandAll key informants believed that tikanga has proven to be an effective model to helpmore Māori to be physically active. One key informant stated that Māori touch (rugby)has doubled the number of participants in the last ten years and has also managed toprovide Māori development at a local, regional and national level. Furthermore, it hasnow gone international by hosting a world indigenous touch tournament. Part of thissuccess is based on Māori governing their own affairs and having buy-in from players,referees and management of the importance of using tikanga to guide all dealings withinternal and external stakeholders.Another key informant stated that Ngāti Porou Hauora is utilising the principles of tikangain the work that they do. So to are Ngāti Hine Trust.FeasibilityAll the key informants believed that utilising tikanga as a vehicle to help more Māori to bephysically active is feasible. Two informants stated that they are already using thesephilosophies with great success and the communities they serve are asking for more.Another key informant stated that tikanga is inherent in Māori and is highly transferableto the general population. One key informant stated that tikanga would be successful188
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