tag:theconversation.com,2011:/ca-fr/topics/maori-people-37033/articlesMaori people – La Conversation2020-09-02T19:58:03Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1445762020-09-02T19:58:03Z2020-09-02T19:58:03ZMost New Zealanders don’t know how deadly strokes are – claiming 2,300 lives a year and rising<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/353548/original/file-20200819-24671-1mswj9q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=67%2C119%2C4925%2C3008&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock/eggeegg</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Stroke is the <a href="https://www.health.govt.nz/publication/mortality-2017-data-tables">third highest cause of death</a> in New Zealand, after cancer and coronary heart disease. But our <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1052305719306883">new research</a> shows very few people are aware of the risk, particularly in Pasifika communities – despite being much more likely to have an early stroke.</p>
<p>Each year, about <a href="https://www.health.govt.nz/your-health/conditions-and-treatments/diseases-and-illnesses/stroke">9,000 New Zealanders have a stroke</a> and according to the <a href="https://www.health.govt.nz/publication/mortality-2016-data-tables">latest data</a>, 2,322 died of stroke in 2016. Just over half of the people who survive a stroke <a href="https://www.stroke.org.nz/sites/default/files/inline-files/SFNZ%20and%20NZIER%20-%20The%20social%20and%20economic%20cost%20of%20stroke%20in%20NZ%202020.pdf">live with ongoing health impacts</a>. </p>
<p>Our <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1052305719306883">study</a>, based on a random national sample of 400 people, shows only 1.5% identified stroke as a common cause of death. In contrast, 37% identified heart disease and 33% identified cancer as common causes of death. </p>
<p>Our research is unique in that it recruited a group of participants who represent New Zealand’s ethnic groups. It shows people from Pasifika communities have the lowest stroke awareness, despite being at higher risk than the general population. </p>
<h2>Recognising stroke symptoms and risk factors</h2>
<p>The <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1052305719306883">research</a> also shows around 43% of people surveyed did not believe they could tell if a person was having a stroke. </p>
<p>The most common symptoms of stroke are:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>the sudden onset of face drooping on one side</p></li>
<li><p>arm weakness, especially if one-sided</p></li>
<li><p>speech difficulty</p></li>
<li><p>complete or partial loss of vision on one side</p></li>
<li><p>swallowing difficulties</p></li>
<li><p>acute confusion or memory loss</p></li>
<li><p>unusually severe, abrupt headaches.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>While the majority responded correctly to stroke symptoms, a large proportion (45-70%) also responded “yes” to unrelated symptoms, such as chest pain. </p>
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<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UfQpiIuxMuc?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">How to recognise that someone is having a stroke.</span></figcaption>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-may-be-increasing-risk-of-stroke-doctors-on-the-frontline-witness-new-pattern-138032">Coronavirus may be increasing risk of stroke – doctors on the frontline witness new pattern</a>
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<p>Awareness of stroke risk factors was also low. There is clear evidence that stroke is <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(16)30506-2/fulltext">highly preventable</a>. Ten potentially modifiable risk factors are associated with around 90% of strokes. </p>
<p>Risk factors include <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S1474-4422(16)30073-4">high blood pressure</a>, diabetes, smoking, low levels of physical activity, and a diet low in fresh fruits and vegetables. Without any prompting, only 30% of people identified two or more risk factors for stroke. </p>
<iframe title="Stroke death rate per 100,000 attributed to risk factors" aria-label="Bar Chart" id="datawrapper-chart-P2eHr" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/P2eHr/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="border: none;" width="100%" height="306"></iframe>
<p>People identifying as Pasifika or Māori recognised fewer stroke symptoms compared to European New Zealanders, and Pasifika people were 58% less likely to correctly identify risk factors. This is an important finding because <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26291829/">our earlier research</a> highlights that age-standardised rates of stroke are 30-60% higher for Pasifika and Māori, with an onset 15 years earlier compared to European New Zealanders.</p>
<p>A Pasifika person in New Zealand is twice as likely to die of a stroke as a European New Zealander. That disproportionately high stroke risk, combined with lower awareness about strokes and their warning signs, means New Zealand needs to develop more language and culturally specific education material, as well as better methods of delivery. </p>
<h2>Stroke rates in younger people on the rise</h2>
<p>In our study, higher incomes and education were both associated with better stroke awareness, and this is similar to findings in other <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25817626/">developed countries such as Spain</a>. People in middle-income households were twice as likely to correctly identify stroke risk factors as those on low incomes. </p>
<p>People for whom English is a second language, or who don’t speak it at all, are further disadvantaged. If we want to improve stroke prevention, we need to develop better communication strategies to address <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/ijs.12425">language gaps in understanding</a> that stroke is avoidable. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laneur/article/PIIS1474-4422(19)30034-1/fulltext#%20">Globally</a> and in New Zealand, the number of people having strokes and dying from them is <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03036758.2020.1798477?scroll=top&needAccess=true&journalCode=tnzr20">increasing</a> because people are living longer and are more exposed to risk factors, including more sedentary lifestyles. </p>
<p>For the first time, over the past decade we’ve started to see an <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0134609">increase</a> in the rate of <a href="https://doi-org.ezproxy.aut.ac.nz/10.1159/000441098">younger people</a> having strokes. This is of concern. It means more people are living longer with disabilities caused by a stroke and experience growing health and financial stress themselves as well as in their families.</p>
<p>Given that stroke is highly preventable, we call for better access to population-wide strategies, available to people at all levels of risk of stroke. Existing strategies are mostly aimed at people at moderate to high risk of cardiovascular diseases, including stroke. </p>
<p>This so-called “high-risk” strategy <a href="https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/JAHA.119.014494">leaves out most people at risk</a>, while those in the high-risk categories often lack the knowledge and motivation to address their individual lifestyle risks. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/new-blood-pressure-guidelines-may-make-millions-anxious-that-theyre-at-risk-of-heart-disease-93349">New blood pressure guidelines may make millions anxious that they're at risk of heart disease</a>
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<h2>Preventing strokes will cut the risk of other deadly diseases</h2>
<p>Population-wide strategies aimed at stroke prevention would also help prevent other major non-communicable diseases with similar risk factors, including coronary heart disease, <a href="http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs297/en/">many types of cancers</a> and even <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S1474-4422(16)30132-6">some types of dementia</a>. </p>
<p>The free <a href="https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/STROKEAHA.118.023058">Stroke Riskometer app</a> can assess an individual’s risk of stroke, inform them about their personal risk factors and provide information about symptoms. Free <a href="https://www.stroke.org.nz/sites/default/files/inline-files/SFNZ%20and%20NZIER%20-%20The%20social%20and%20economic%20cost%20of%20stroke%20in%20NZ%202020.pdf">blood pressure checks</a> provided by the <a href="https://www.stroke.org.nz/">New Zealand Stroke Foundation</a> throughout the country help raise awareness of the most important modifiable risk factors for stroke. </p>
<p>The economic cost of stroke is enormous, with an estimate of NZ$1.1 billion for 2020, increasing to <a href="https://www.stroke.org.nz/sites/default/files/inline-files/SFNZ%20and%20NZIER%20-%20The%20social%20and%20economic%20cost%20of%20stroke%20in%20NZ%202020.pdf">NZ$1.7 billion by 2038</a>. </p>
<p>The high health, social and economic burden of stroke on New Zealand – and its disproportionate impact on Māori and Pasifika communities – needs to be addressed urgently. The lower level of awareness in these groups highlights we need to deliver information that is tailored and delivered by culturally competent community workers. </p>
<p>We also need to complement these steps with improved access to affordable healthy foods, preventative primary healthcare, and support at individual and community levels to improve health and lifestyle.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/144576/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Rita Krishnamurthi received funding from Brain Research New Zealand, A Centre of Research Excellence. </span></em></p>Stroke is New Zealand’s third highest cause of death, but few people recognise its symptoms and risk factors, particularly in Pasifika and Māori communities where stroke affects more people.Rita Krishnamurthi, Associate Professor (cerebrovascular epidemiology), Auckland University of TechnologyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1361752020-04-23T19:59:57Z2020-04-23T19:59:57ZCaring for community to beat coronavirus echoes Indigenous ideas of a good life<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/328234/original/file-20200416-140719-1likaqc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C6798%2C2526&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Suz Te Tai (Ngati Manu)</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The COVID-19 pandemic has reminded us our own well-being is intimately connected to <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/wellington-top-stories/120791996/coronavirus-thank-you-to-our-essential-workers">other people</a> and our natural environment. </p>
<p>For many people, living in a small lockdown bubble for weeks has put a heavy strain on <a href="https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2020/04/coronavirus-covid-19-lockdown-triggers-huge-increase-in-mental-health-issues.html">their mental health and relationships</a>. For others, it’s been a chance to <a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018743585/coronavirus-multigenerational-bubbles-enjoying-lockdown">strengthen multi-generational ties</a>.</p>
<p>Māori and Indigenous peoples elsewhere have long called for social and political transformation, including a broader approach to health that values social and cultural well-being of communities, rather than only the physical well-being of an individual. </p>
<p>When our COVID-19 lockdowns end, we can’t afford to stop <a href="https://thespinoff.co.nz/parenting/moe/23-04-2020/together-apart-keeping-kids-connected-under-rahui/">caring</a> about collective well-being. New Zealand is well positioned to show the world how this could be done, including through the New Zealand Treasury’s <a href="https://treasury.govt.nz/information-and-services/nz-economy/higher-living-standards/our-living-standards-framework">Living Standards Framework</a> – but only if we listen more to Māori and other diverse voices.</p>
<h2>Relationships are at the heart of living well</h2>
<p>For many Indigenous peoples, good relationships are fundamental to a well-functioning society. In New Zealand, these connections are captured in Māori narratives charting our relationships with people and other parts of the natural world. The relationships are woven in a complex genealogical network. </p>
<p>Indigenous well-being begins where our relationships with each other and with the natural environment meet. These intersections generate responsibilities for remembering what has come before us, realising well-being today, and creating sustainable conditions for future generations.</p>
<p>Practices that enhance the importance of these relationships are central to Māori notions of “<a href="https://osf.io/preprints/socarxiv/tz746/">manaakitanga</a>” (caring and supporting others) and “<a href="http://www.jps.auckland.ac.nz/document//Volume_109_2000/Volume_109%2C_No._4/Kaitiakitanga%3A_A_Maori_anthropological_perspective_of_the_Maori_socio-environmental_ethic_of_resource_management%2C_by_Merata_Kawharu%2C_p_349-370/p1">kaitiakitanga</a>” (caretaking of the environment and people). We find these <a href="https://www.teaomaori.news/iwi-leaders-partner-food-service-provide-kai-vulnerable-whanau-nationwide">commitments and practices</a> in <a href="https://maorimaps.com/">communities</a> and tribal groups across New Zealand.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/community-wellbeing-best-measured-from-the-ground-up-a-yawuru-example-64162">Community wellbeing best measured from the ground up: a Yawuru example</a>
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<p>Similarly, the Yawuru people of Broome in north-western Australia contend that good connections with other people and the natural environment play a central role in “<a href="http://www.yawuru.org.au/community/mabu-liyan-framework/?doing_wp_cron=1586926205.3619189262390136718750">mabu liyan</a>”, living a good life.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/329915/original/file-20200423-47815-1payatd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/329915/original/file-20200423-47815-1payatd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/329915/original/file-20200423-47815-1payatd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/329915/original/file-20200423-47815-1payatd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/329915/original/file-20200423-47815-1payatd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/329915/original/file-20200423-47815-1payatd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/329915/original/file-20200423-47815-1payatd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/329915/original/file-20200423-47815-1payatd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">The Yawuru conducted a well-being survey that highlighted the crucial role of connectedness.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">John Puertollano, used with permission</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/329917/original/file-20200423-47784-1lgp2qn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/329917/original/file-20200423-47784-1lgp2qn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/329917/original/file-20200423-47784-1lgp2qn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=542&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/329917/original/file-20200423-47784-1lgp2qn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=542&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/329917/original/file-20200423-47784-1lgp2qn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=542&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/329917/original/file-20200423-47784-1lgp2qn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=681&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/329917/original/file-20200423-47784-1lgp2qn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=681&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/329917/original/file-20200423-47784-1lgp2qn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=681&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Ojibwe women wearing their healing (jingle) dresses: Robyn Copenance, Sharona Seymour, Rayanna Seymour.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
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<p>In North America, relationships as well as the need for cooperation and justice between all beings ground the Anishinaabe good-living concept of “<a href="https://www.berghahnjournals.com/view/journals/environment-and-society/9/1/ares090102.xml">minobimaatisiiwin</a>”. </p>
<p>In South America, reciprocity in human interactions with nature is fundamental to the Quechua people’s good living notion of “<a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/21683565.2018.1468380">allin kawsay</a>”. </p>
<p>For Indigenous peoples everywhere, navigating our complex responsibilities for people and other living things in ways that enrich our existence is fundamental.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/329951/original/file-20200423-47799-849iui.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/329951/original/file-20200423-47799-849iui.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/329951/original/file-20200423-47799-849iui.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=403&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/329951/original/file-20200423-47799-849iui.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=403&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/329951/original/file-20200423-47799-849iui.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=403&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/329951/original/file-20200423-47799-849iui.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=506&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/329951/original/file-20200423-47799-849iui.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=506&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/329951/original/file-20200423-47799-849iui.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=506&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Mariaelena Huambachano and Quechua ladies from Choquecancha, discussing the importance of seeds for well-being.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Mariaelena Huambachano</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
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<h2>Living standards and well-being</h2>
<p>The New Zealand Treasury’s <a href="https://treasury.govt.nz/information-and-services/nz-economy/higher-living-standards/our-living-standards-framework">Living Standards Framework</a>, launched in late 2018, recognises that living well consists of many dimensions, including health, housing and social connections. It is based on 12 well-being indicators. </p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/272140/original/file-20190502-117570-m26iqf.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/272140/original/file-20190502-117570-m26iqf.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=468&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/272140/original/file-20190502-117570-m26iqf.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=468&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/272140/original/file-20190502-117570-m26iqf.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=468&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/272140/original/file-20190502-117570-m26iqf.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=588&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/272140/original/file-20190502-117570-m26iqf.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=588&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/272140/original/file-20190502-117570-m26iqf.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=588&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock/The Conversation</span></span>
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<p>Significantly, the framework has <a href="https://ojs.victoria.ac.nz/pq/article/view/5294/4649">some foundation</a> in what is known as the <a href="https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/capability-approach/">capability approach</a>, which argues the focus of well-being should be on what people are capable of doing and what they value.</p>
<p>The capability approach has been pivotal in moving discussions away from measures <a href="https://theconversation.com/new-zealands-well-being-approach-to-budget-is-not-new-but-could-shift-major-issues-116296">based purely on income</a> to a broader scope of concern: the ability to live well by relating to others and the natural environment, or by participating politically. </p>
<p>Indigenous peoples promote the centrality of collective well-being. They emphasise the importance of sustaining relationships over generations. Examples grounded in such thinking include the <a href="https://www.tpk.govt.nz/en/a-matou-mohiotanga/corporate-documents/tpk-annualreport-2007/online/4">Māori Potential Approach</a>, which focuses on Māori strength and success, <a href="https://www.tpk.govt.nz/en/whakamahia/whanau-ora">Whānau Ora</a> and many earlier innovations in Māori health policy. This Indigenous work is more important than ever <a href="https://www.tepunahamatatini.ac.nz/2020/04/17/estimated-inequities-in-covid-19-infection-fatality-rates-by-ethnicity-for-aotearoa-new-zealand/">for shaping policy to tackle inequities</a>.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/new-zealands-well-being-approach-to-budget-is-not-new-but-could-shift-major-issues-116296">New Zealand's well-being approach to budget is not new, but could shift major issues</a>
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<h2>Creating a fairer future for all</h2>
<p>When talking about New Zealand’s response to COVID-19, many people have been invoking the well-known Māori phrase <a href="https://twitter.com/WgtnCC/status/1250680323869863937">He waka eke noa</a> (we are all in this together).</p>
<p>But our social and political arrangements are not really equitable – and that can cost lives when it comes to a crisis like COVID-19.</p>
<p>Recent <a href="https://www.tepunahamatatini.ac.nz/2020/04/17/estimated-inequities-in-covid-19-infection-fatality-rates-by-ethnicity-for-aotearoa-new-zealand/">modelling</a> shows the COVID-19 infection fatality rate varies by ethnicity. In New Zealand, it is around 50% higher for Māori (if age is the main factor) and more than 2.5 times that of New Zealanders of European descent if underlying health conditions are taken into account. </p>
<p>In the face of so many challenges – COVID-19, climate change, poverty – we have significant opportunities. One is to learn from the current experience, which has shown everyone the importance of thinking beyond individual well-being, to develop a well-being framework that better reflects diversity. </p>
<p>At least in its current form, New Zealand’s Living Standards Framework is missing diverse voices, especially of our most vulnerable communities such as children, older people, Māori and Pasifika communities. </p>
<p>Around the world, work is underway on how to develop well-being indicators for <a href="https://www.palgrave.com/gp/book/9780230284814">children</a>, <a href="https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/mds/projects/HaPS/HE/ICECAP/ICECAP-O/index.aspx">older people</a>, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1875067211000320">people with disabilities</a>, and <a href="http://www.yawuru.org.au/community/mabu-liyan-framework/?doing_wp_cron=1586926628.5647659301757812500000">Indigenous communities</a>. </p>
<p>So too are well-being initiatives undertaken by local Māori communities. The tribal census undertaken by <a href="https://ngatiwhatuaorakei.com/">Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei</a> is an example of communities committed to the aspirations of their people. To do this, we need to rethink long-standing assumptions about what well-being is and how it is measured. </p>
<p>Beyond this current crisis, we need to apply the same collective approach – of <a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/411097/covid-19-how-to-protect-yourself-and-others">protecting each other</a> to protect ourselves – to the other social and political challenges we face. By doing that, we could create a better future for all of us.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/136175/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Krushil Watene receives funding from The Royal Society of NZ, and the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment. She is affiliated with Ngāti Manu, Te Hikutu, Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, Tonga </span></em></p>When our COVID-19 lockdowns end, we can’t afford to stop caring about collective well-being. NZ is well positioned to show the world how it’s done – if we listen to Māori and other diverse voices.Krushil Watene, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Massey UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1223302019-08-29T08:39:32Z2019-08-29T08:39:32ZMāori and Pasifika scholars remain severely under-represented in New Zealand universities<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/290003/original/file-20190829-184192-hj3uys.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=73%2C0%2C4846%2C3194&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The number of Māori and Pasifika students is growing, but they do not see themselves represented among the people who teach them.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">from www.shutterstock.com</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The number of Māori and Pasifika students attending New Zealand universities has been increasing steadily, with 75,625 Māori and 32,465 Pasifika <a href="https://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/statistics/tertiary-education/participation">enrolled in 2018</a>. </p>
<p>But for many of these students, they will not be taught by Māori or Pasifika throughout their degree. And depending on their discipline, they may not get to work with a Māori or Pasifika advisor during their postgraduate years either. This not only affects Māori and Pasifika but also reinforces to all of New Zealand that “experts” are not Māori and Pasifika but most likely Pākehā (New Zealanders of European descent). </p>
<p>In our research published this week, <a href="http://journal.mai.ac.nz/content/why-isn%E2%80%99t-my-professor-m%C4%81ori-snapshot-academic-workforce-new-zealand-universities">Why isn’t my professor Māori?</a> and <a href="http://journal.mai.ac.nz/content/why-isn%E2%80%99t-my-professor-pasifika-snapshot-academic-workforce-new-zealand-universities">Why isn’t my Professor Pasifika?</a>, we analysed the number of Māori and Pasifika faculty at New Zealand’s eight universities – and highlight that Māori and Pasifika scholars are severely under-represented, making up only 5% and 1.7% of the academic workforce, respectively. This is in contrast to 15% identifying as Māori and <a href="http://pasifikafutures.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/PF_HowAreWeDoing-RD2-WEB2.pdf">7.4% as Pasifika</a> in the <a href="http://archive.stats.govt.nz/Census/2013-census.aspx">2013 census</a>.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/diversity-is-indispensable-to-excellence-the-canada-research-chairs-program-97358">Diversity is indispensable to excellence: The Canada Research Chairs program</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Influencing thinking</h2>
<p>Universities are charged with being the conscience of society, creating new technologies, informing policy development and providing ways for us to understand the world we exist in. If all of these roles are carried out with little to no Māori and Pasifika input, then Pākehā views will go on to influence the wider New Zealand society. </p>
<p>Of further concern is that, despite the universties’ expressed values of diversity and equity, these percentages have remained unchanged for six years. </p>
<p>Certain universities are doing better than others. From 2012 to 2017, 9-10% of the University of Waikato’s academic staff were Māori, whereas only 2.5-5% of Lincoln University’s staff were Māori. </p>
<p>But many of the Māori and Pasifika academics employed by New Zealand universities are in short-term contracts. Very few are in senior leadership roles.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/290009/original/file-20190829-184229-1ti97tn.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/290009/original/file-20190829-184229-1ti97tn.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=390&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/290009/original/file-20190829-184229-1ti97tn.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=390&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/290009/original/file-20190829-184229-1ti97tn.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=390&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/290009/original/file-20190829-184229-1ti97tn.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=490&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/290009/original/file-20190829-184229-1ti97tn.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=490&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/290009/original/file-20190829-184229-1ti97tn.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=490&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Key patterns in data</h2>
<p>As you increase the level of academic seniority from tutorial assistant to professor, the numbers of Māori get fewer. Most Māori academics are employed as lecturers or tutors and senior lecturers. Very few Māori get promoted to the highest academic level of professor. </p>
<p>In 2012, about 25 of a total of 975 professors were Māori. This only increased to <a href="http://journal.mai.ac.nz/content/why-isn%E2%80%99t-my-professor-pasifika-snapshot-academic-workforce-new-zealand-universities">35 out of 1045</a> in 2017. It is important for Māori and Pasifika students to see themselves represented by the people who teach them. Instead, Pākehā people are training the next generation of Māori and Pasifika doctors, teachers and lawyers, who would benefit by being taught by their own people. </p>
<p>The benefits would ripple through our communities and society. We argue, that the impact of having more Māori and Pasifika academics would result in a positive transformation for our own communities. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/strong-sense-of-cultural-identity-drives-boom-in-maori-business-87500">Strong sense of cultural identity drives boom in Māori business</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Pasifika academics are also centred in Auckland, which is to be expected given demographic trends. This puts pressure on Auckland-based universities to lead the way in recruitment, retention and promotion of Pasifika academics. A change in one of these universities can impact numbers nationally, as was the case for the University of Auckland which lost 40 Pasifika academics between 2015 and 2016. This represented a loss of 20% across New Zealand. </p>
<p>Most Pasifika academics are in temporary contracts (55 Pasifika out of 3005 academic staff and tutorial assistants across the country), with very few in professor and dean positions (five Pasifika out of 1045 professors and deans across the country). The same can be said for Māori. This is unsurprising and aligns with global experiences of diverse people engaging in work that is not valued by the university but is valued by their communities. </p>
<p>This can include attending a gathering to talk about community aspirations and how a Pasifika academic can leverage their position or social capital to help the community reach their goals. This may not be valued by the university unless it comes with research funding. </p>
<h2>What to do about it</h2>
<p>Not all of this is bad news. Some universities and organisations are beginning to address this. AUT’s Māori and Pasifika early-career academic programme shows promise. Cohort hiring ensures that new Māori and Pasifika academics have a collective which provides them with mentors to guide them through the promotions process. </p>
<p>The work of <a href="http://www.maramatanga.co.nz/">Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga</a>, New Zealand’s Māori centre of research excellence, has significantly increased the number of Māori graduating with PhDs. But although Māori and Pasifika in the academy are working together to recruit and retain more Maori and Pasifika academics, this should not be their burden alone. </p>
<p>Significant structural change is needed in the recruitment, retention and promotion of Māori and Pasifika academics. Universities in New Zealand have made commitments to Māori and Pasifika communities and need to begin to address the inequities outlined in our research. </p>
<p>The data on Māori and Pasifika faculty show that in spite of work to recruit more Māori and Pasifika students, universities are falling short on delivering more Māori and Pasifika academics in leadership positions. This means we either need government intervention similar to those made for Māori and Pasifika students where institutions are <a href="https://www.tec.govt.nz/funding/funding-and-performance/funding/fund-finder/equity-funding/">resourced to provide better learning environments</a>, or universities need to consider how their current structures continue to exclude Māori and Pasifika. </p>
<p>Traditionally, New Zealand has led the way in decolonising universities, with many of our Maori and Pasifika academics being sought-after international speakers. We should continue to lead in ensuring that our universities embrace all learners, esteem all modes of knowledge and serve all communities. </p>
<p>This may mean that instead of universities relying on international models of excellence, we design our own that reflect our unique place in the world.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/122330/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Tara McAllister receives funding from the Vision Matauranga Capability Fund. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sereana Naepi does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>New research shows that Māori and Pasifika scholars are significantly under-represented in New Zealand’s universities, making up only 5% and 1.7% of the academic workforce, respectively.Tara McAllister, Research Fellow, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata RauSereana Naepi, Associate Director of All My Relations, Thompson Rivers UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/861332017-10-24T19:06:32Z2017-10-24T19:06:32ZSoldiers, thieves, Māori warriors: the NZ convicts sent to Australia<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/191492/original/file-20171023-1738-4klhra.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Detail from a coloured lithograph depicting Port Arthur penal station in 1843. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">State Library of New South Wales.</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Soon after it became a British colony, New Zealand began shipping the worst of its offenders across the Tasman Sea. Between 1843 and 1853, an eclectic mix of more than 110 soldiers, sailors, Māori, civilians and convict absconders from the Australian penal colonies were transported from New Zealand to Van Diemen’s Land. </p>
<p>This little-known chapter of history happened for several reasons. The colonists wanted to cleanse their land of thieves, vagrants and murderers and deal with Māori opposition to colonisation. Transporting fighting men like <a href="https://teara.govt.nz/mi/biographies/1t80/te-umuroa-hohepa">Hōhepa Te Umuroa</a>, Te Kūmete, Te Waretiti, Matiu Tikiahi and Te Rāhui for life to Van Diemen’s Land was meant to subdue Māori resistance. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/191485/original/file-20171023-1692-1rs4uhs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/191485/original/file-20171023-1692-1rs4uhs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/191485/original/file-20171023-1692-1rs4uhs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=695&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/191485/original/file-20171023-1692-1rs4uhs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=695&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/191485/original/file-20171023-1692-1rs4uhs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=695&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/191485/original/file-20171023-1692-1rs4uhs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=873&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/191485/original/file-20171023-1692-1rs4uhs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=873&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/191485/original/file-20171023-1692-1rs4uhs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=873&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Portrait of Hohepa Te Umuroa by William Duke.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Wikimedia Commons</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Transportation was also used to punish redcoats (the British soldiers sent to guard the colony and fight opposing Māori), who deserted their regiments or otherwise misbehaved. Some soldiers were so terrified of Māori warriors that they took off when faced with the enemy.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/191489/original/file-20171023-1746-1e7ba6k.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/191489/original/file-20171023-1746-1e7ba6k.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/191489/original/file-20171023-1746-1e7ba6k.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/191489/original/file-20171023-1746-1e7ba6k.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/191489/original/file-20171023-1746-1e7ba6k.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/191489/original/file-20171023-1746-1e7ba6k.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/191489/original/file-20171023-1746-1e7ba6k.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/191489/original/file-20171023-1746-1e7ba6k.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">William Phelps Pickering, his second wife Grace Martha, and two of her children.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Early colonial New Zealand had no room for reprobates. Idealised as a new sort of colony for gentlefolk and free labourers, New Zealanders aspired towards creating a utopia by brutally suppressing challenges to that dream. On 4 November 1841, the colony’s first governor, William Hobson, named Van Diemen’s Land as the site to which its prisoners would be sent. The first boatload arrived in Hobart in 1843 and included William Phelps Pickering, one of the few white-collar criminals transported across the Tasman. Pickering later lived as a gentleman after returning home. </p>
<p>In 1840s Van Diemen’s Land, convict labourers were sent to probation stations before being hired out. Many men transported from New Zealand were sent down the Tasman Peninsula, where labourers were needed at the time. </p>
<p>Ironically, those eventually allocated to masters or mistresses in larger centres like Hobart or Launceston would have enjoyed more developed living conditions than New Zealand’s fledgling townships. In those days, Auckland’s main street was rather muddy. Early colonial buildings were often constructed by Māori from local materials.</p>
<p>At least 51 redcoats were shipped to the penal island. Some committed crimes after being discharged from the military. But many faced charges related to desertion. Four of the six soldier convicts who arrived Van Diemen’s Land in June 1847 were court-martialled in Auckland the previous winter for “deserting in the vicinity of hostile natives”. </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/191492/original/file-20171023-1738-4klhra.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/191492/original/file-20171023-1738-4klhra.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/191492/original/file-20171023-1738-4klhra.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=417&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/191492/original/file-20171023-1738-4klhra.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=417&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/191492/original/file-20171023-1738-4klhra.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=417&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/191492/original/file-20171023-1738-4klhra.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=524&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/191492/original/file-20171023-1738-4klhra.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=524&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/191492/original/file-20171023-1738-4klhra.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=524&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Port Arthur penal station, Tasmania, showing convict labourers in 1843.
Coloured lithograph signed ‘R.N.N’ (or ‘K.N.N’).</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">State Library of New South Wales.</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>As Irish soldier convict Michael Tobin explained, the deserters had been returned to the colonists by “friendly natives”; that is, Māori who were loyal to the Crown during the New Zealand Wars. Perhaps as a form of insurance, Tobin had also struck Captain Armstrong, his superior. Several other soldiers also used violence against a superior - it was bound to ensure a sentence of transportation, removing them from the theatre of war.</p>
<p>Irish Catholic soldier Richard Shea, for instance, was a private in the 99th Regiment who used his firelock to strike his lieutenant while on parade. This earned him a passage on the Castor to Van Diemen’s Land. His three military companions on the vessel, William Lane, George Morris and John Bailey, all claimed to have been taken by Maori north of Auckland and kept prisoner for four months. But surviving records reveal that their military overlords thought that the three had instead deserted to join the ranks of a rebel chief.</p>
<h2>Maori fighters</h2>
<p>In 1846, NZ governor George Grey proclaimed martial law across the Wellington region. When several Māori fighters were eventually captured and handed over to colonists by the Crown’s Indigenous allies, they were tried by court martial at Porirua, north of Wellington.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/191491/original/file-20171023-1722-upxza0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/191491/original/file-20171023-1722-upxza0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/191491/original/file-20171023-1722-upxza0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=889&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/191491/original/file-20171023-1722-upxza0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=889&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/191491/original/file-20171023-1722-upxza0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=889&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/191491/original/file-20171023-1722-upxza0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1117&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/191491/original/file-20171023-1722-upxza0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1117&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/191491/original/file-20171023-1722-upxza0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1117&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A portrait of Matiu Tikiaki by John Skinner Prout, painted in Hobart in 1846.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">British Museum</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">CC BY-NC-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>After being found guilty of charges that included being in open rebellion against Queen and country, five were sentenced to transportation for life in Van Diemen’s Land. The traditionally-clothed Māori attracted a lot of attention in Hobart, where colonists loudly disapproved of their New Zealand neighbours’ treatment of Indigenous people. This is ironic given the Tasmanians’ own near-genocidal war against Aboriginal people.</p>
<p>Grey had wanted the Māori warriors sent to Norfolk Island or Port Arthur and hoped they would write letters to their allies at home describing how harshly they were being treated. Instead, they were initially held in Hobart, where they were visited by media and other well-wishers. Colonial artist John Skinner Prout <a href="http://www.britishmuseum.org/join_in/using_digital_images/using_digital_images.aspx?asset_id=76384001&objectId=1664121&partId=1">painted translucent watercolour portraits of them</a>. Each of the fighters used pencil to sign his name to his likeness. William Duke created a portrait of Te Umuroa in oils.</p>
<p>Hobartians were worried that the Māori could become contaminated through contact with other convicts. Arrangements were made to send them to Maria Island off the island’s east coast, where they could live separately from the other convicts. </p>
<p>John Jennings Imrie, a man who previously lived in New Zealand and knew some Māori language, became their overseer. Their lives in captivity were as gentle as possible and involved Bible study, vegetable gardening, nature walks and hunting. </p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/191487/original/file-20171023-1717-rqq1ad.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/191487/original/file-20171023-1717-rqq1ad.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/191487/original/file-20171023-1717-rqq1ad.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=774&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/191487/original/file-20171023-1717-rqq1ad.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=774&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/191487/original/file-20171023-1717-rqq1ad.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=774&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/191487/original/file-20171023-1717-rqq1ad.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=973&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/191487/original/file-20171023-1717-rqq1ad.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=973&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/191487/original/file-20171023-1717-rqq1ad.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=973&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Hohepa Te Umuroa’s headstone at Darlington on Maria Island.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Kristyn Harman</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Following lobbying from Tasmanian colonists and a pardon from Britain, four of the men, Te Kūmete, Te Waretiti, Matiu Tikiahi, Te Rāhui, were sent home in 1848. Te Umuroa died in custody at the Maria Island probation station in July 1847. It was not until 1988 that his remains were repatriated to New Zealand.</p>
<p>Reducing crime through imposing exemplary sentences saw dozens of working-class men transported to Van Diemen’s Land. One such fellow was James Beckett, a sausage-seller transported for theft for seven years. The only woman sent from New Zealand, Margaret Reardon, was sentenced to seven years’ transportation for perjuring herself trying to protect her partner (and possibly herself) from murder charges. After being found guilty of murdering Lieutenant Robert Snow on Auckland’s North Shore in 1847, the following year Reardon’s former lover Joseph Burns became the first white man judicially executed in New Zealand.</p>
<p>At one stage, Reardon was sent to the <a href="http://femalefactory.org.au/">Female Factory at Cascades</a> on Hobart’s outskirts to be punished for a transgression. Eventually, she remarried and moved to Victoria where she died in old age.</p>
<p>In 1853, transportation to Van Diemen’s Land formally ended. New Zealand then had to upgrade its flimsy gaols so criminals could be punished within its own borders.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/86133/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kristyn Harman does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Early colonial New Zealand had no room for reprobates and was at war with Maori resisters. So between 1843 and 1853, it shipped the worst offenders across the Tasman Sea.Kristyn Harman, Senior Lecturer in History, University of TasmaniaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/837682017-09-19T22:34:20Z2017-09-19T22:34:20ZLessons for Canada in New Zealand’s Indigenous-friendly electoral system<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/186247/original/file-20170915-8076-1delxwz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=323%2C0%2C2488%2C1661&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Canada's former prime minister, Stephen Harper, is greeted by a Maori warrior in New Zealand in November 2014. New Zealand's electoral system allows for far greater Indigenous involvement than Canada's. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Canada’s electoral system needs a New Zealand-style overhaul. </p>
<p>The Liberals promised to reform our so-called first-past-the-post system during the 2015 election campaign, <a href="http://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/why-we-broke-our-electoral-reform-promise-signed-a-liberal-mp/">then broke their promise</a> in February. </p>
<p>That ensures future governments, including our current one, can rule virtually unchecked with less than 40 per cent of the popular vote. </p>
<p>All Westminster systems are, by default, based on a prime ministerial dictatorship, and we as voters are beholden to their version of noblesse oblige. Our leader may have the friendly demeanour of Justin Trudeau or the chilliness of Stephen Harper, but it doesn’t alter their accountability — they can more or less do anything they want as long as they have the votes in Parliament.</p>
<p>New Zealand, however, is doing things differently.</p>
<p>This week, the country <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-newzealand-politics/labour-and-national-even-in-tight-new-zealand-election-race-roy-morgan-poll-idUSKCN1BQ1O5?il=0">will elect a new government</a>. It is the 52nd parliament since the 1852, and the eighth since they adopted a <a href="http://www.samaracanada.com/samara-in-the-classroom/electoral-reform/mixed-member-proportional-representation">mixed member proportional electoral system</a> — known as MMP — in 1996. Under this system, voters have two votes — a party vote and a constituency vote. </p>
<h2>Why New Zealand has it over Canada</h2>
<p>Their system is better than ours. Let me tell you why.</p>
<p>The key draw card is political leverage. Like Canada, the two big parties in New Zealand generally switch positions between government and opposition. But unlike Canada, the governing party is often obliged to seek coalition or <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/jun/11/confidence-and-supply-what-does-it-mean-and-how-will-it-work-for-the-new-government">confidence-and-supply agreements</a> with one or more minor parties, essentially meaning those parties obtain something in return for supporting the government with votes in Parliament. </p>
<p>In MMP, voters can be creative. They can split their votes, choosing a small issues-based party for their party vote, and a local candidate for their constituency vote. </p>
<p>A minor party can change the tone and focus of the government’s legislative output. MMP also makes it easier for voters to <a href="http://www.elections.org.nz/parties-candidates/registered-political-parties/register-political-parties">create electorally viable small parties</a> — maybe an Indigenous party like the Māori Party or the Mana Movement, a right-wing neoliberal party like the ACT (Association of Consumers and Taxpayers), a party promoting immigrant interests (the NZ People’s Party) or one focused on Christian and family values (United Future). </p>
<p>In Canada, Indigenous journalist and blogger <a href="https://rjjago.wordpress.com/2017/06/28/media-indigena-their-country-our-land-why-indigenous-peoples-have-a-problem-with-canada150/">Robert Jago recently argued his people face a “Canada problem”</a> — settler voters can always win.</p>
<p>“With their majority, their control over our lands and resources seems natural and is granted democratic cover… The greatest good is always their good,” he wrote.</p>
<h2>Maori have some leverage</h2>
<p>MMP, on the other hand, offers a means of tempering this serious problem, <a href="https://nzhistory.govt.nz/politics/parliaments-people/maori-mps">enabling Indigenous peoples</a> to marshal the sort of political leverage that is currently impossible in Canada.</p>
<p>Let’s look at numbers. </p>
<p>Since the latest elections in 2014, <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/96709013/maori-seats-once-again-focus-of-debate-heading-into-general-election">21 per cent of MPs are Māori</a>, with a Māori leader of the NZ First Party, two Māori Party co-leaders and until recently a Māori co-leader of the Green Party. </p>
<p>The dominant Labour and National parties have a large number of Māori MPs and cabinet ministers, including deputy prime minister Paula Bennett. Labour’s deputy leader Kelvin Davis is also Māori. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/186248/original/file-20170915-13360-k9amf2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/186248/original/file-20170915-13360-k9amf2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=324&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/186248/original/file-20170915-13360-k9amf2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=324&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/186248/original/file-20170915-13360-k9amf2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=324&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/186248/original/file-20170915-13360-k9amf2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=407&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/186248/original/file-20170915-13360-k9amf2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=407&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/186248/original/file-20170915-13360-k9amf2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=407&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">New Zealand Prime Minister Bill English with Paula Bennett, his deputy prime minister and a Maori, in December 2016 on the steps of the New Zealand Parliament.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Wikimedia Commons)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>There are seven parliamentary seats reserved for Māori, elected by Māori who can choose to go on a special electoral role if they prefer. Compare this to Canada, where a “record” number of Indigenous MPs — a mere 10 — were elected in 2015, <a href="http://nationalpost.com/news/politics/how-justin-trudeaus-cabinet-compares-to-stephen-harpers-first-team">with two now in cabinet.</a> In the entire history of Parliament since Confederation, we have had only 33 Indigenous MPs.</p>
<p>What about policy? </p>
<p>Through MMP, the Māori Party agreed to support a National Party government in 2008. In return, Māori Party MPs Pita Sharples, Te Ururoa Flavell and Tariana Turia have all served in cabinet in the last three terms, and launched specific programs to improve various aspects of Māori education, health, welfare, language and criminal justice.</p>
<h2>Not perfect, but offers steps in right direction</h2>
<p>National <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/3599153/NZ-does-U-turn-on-rights-charter">was also obliged</a> to adopt the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples at the insistence of Maori Affairs Minister Sharples. New Zealand signed onto UNDRIP in April 2010, followed by Canada later that year.</p>
<p>Of course, things are hardly perfect, as any political commentator will tell you. Māori social and economic indicators have fallen considerably since New Zealand’s free market reforms of the 1980s. </p>
<p>Māori unemployment has risen significantly, as well as the percentage of Māori living below the poverty line. Access to housing has plummeted. The percentage of <a href="http://www.corrections.govt.nz/news/media-releases/2017_media_releases/waitangi_tribunal_report_on_maori_reoffending/fact_sheet_-_statistics_for_mori_offenders.html">prisoners who are Māori</a> has increased since the 1980s; currently 51 per cent of male prisoners are Māori, alongside 63 per cent of women.</p>
<p>Like many of their Indigenous counterparts in Canada, many Māori leaders do not want to spend time and effort in a European settler-dominated political system. The work of building their communities is often at the local <a href="https://teara.govt.nz/en/tribal-organisation/page-1">iwi and hapu</a> levels. </p>
<p>MMP is hardly decolonization, Indigenous self-determination or sovereignty. It does, however, represent the potential and practice of political leverage, which can help advance the goals of the Indigenous peoples to some extent in the right circumstances. </p>
<p>While it’s not a solution to our “Canada problem,” it may offer steps in the right direction.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/83768/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>David MacDonald receives funding from Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, from whom he current;y has two Insight Grants. </span></em></p>As New Zealanders head to the polls this week, there are lessons for Canada in the country’s electoral system — in particular how it gives Indigenous people a greater role in governing.David MacDonald, Professor of Political Science, University of GuelphLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/747322017-03-21T18:41:00Z2017-03-21T18:41:00ZWhy is water sacred to Native Americans?<p>The Lakota phrase “Mní wičhóni,” or “Water is life,” has become a new national protest anthem. </p>
<p>It was chanted by 5,000 marchers at the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/american-indians-to-march-on-white-house-in-rally-for-rights/2017/03/10/8b327e84-04e3-11e7-ad5b-d22680e18d10_story.html?utm_term=.af983e52c1a2">Native Nations March</a> in Washington, D.C. on March 10, and during hundreds of protests across the United States in the last year. “Mní wičhóni” became the anthem of the almost year-long struggle to stop the building of the <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-will-native-tribes-fight-the-dakota-access-pipeline-in-court-72839">Dakota Access Pipeline</a> under the Missouri River in North Dakota. </p>
<p>This chant mirrors the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDbSjkkHPGs">civil rights anthems</a> of the past, which emerged out of the African-American church. “Mní wičhóni” in the Lakota language also has spiritual meaning, which is rooted in a connection to nature. As a <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-makes-a-mountain-hill-or-prairie-a-sacred-place-for-native-americans-73169">Native American scholar</a> of environment and religion, I understand what makes the relationship between Native people and the natural world unique. </p>
<p>For Native Americans, water does not only sustain life – it is sacred.</p>
<h2>Water and the American West</h2>
<p>The Great Plains of North America, home to the Lakota, the Blackfeet and other tribes, is a dry, arid place. The U.S. government spends billions of dollars to control and retain water in this “<a href="http://www.lib.msu.edu/branches/map/US/800-c-reg4-D-1823-400/">Great American desert</a>,” as it was described in the early 19th century.</p>
<p>Geologist <a href="https://www.harpercollins.com/9780060955861/down-the-great-unknown">John Wesley Powell</a>, an early director of the U.S. Geological Survey, pointed out in an important <a href="https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/70039240">1878 government study</a> that the defining characteristic of the Great Plains and the West was its lack of water. He attempted to promote land ownership that was based on watersheds, instead of dividing land into the rectangular lots still in use today. </p>
<p>Powell also recommended that America adopt a new type of land development – one that worked with nature, so everyone had access to water.</p>
<p>The U.S. government, however, ignored Powell’s ideas. Writing on this issue later, author <a href="https://wallacestegner.org/bio.html">Wallace Stegner</a>, who was passionate about the West, <a href="https://www.press.umich.edu/7374/american_west_as_living_space">commented</a>, </p>
<blockquote>
<p>“[W]hat do you do about aridity….You may deny it for a while. Then you must either adapt to it or try to engineer it out of existence.” </p>
</blockquote>
<p>The Lakota, the Blackfeet and the other tribes understood how to live with nature. They knew it was best to live within the restrictions of the limited water supply of the Great Plains. </p>
<h2>Water as sacred place</h2>
<p>For thousands of years, Native American tribes across the <a href="http://www.oupress.com/ECommerce/Book/Detail/272/common%20and%20contested%20ground">Great Plains</a> developed their own methods of living with the natural world and its limited water supply. They learned both through observation and experiment, arguably a process quite similar to what we might call science today. They also learned from their religious ideas, passed on from generation to generation in the form of stories.</p>
<p>I learned from my grandparents, both members of the Blackfeet tribe in Montana, about the sacredness of water. They shared that the Blackfeet believed in three separate realms of existence – the Earth, sky and water. The Blackfeet believed that humans, or “Niitsitapi,” and Earth beings, or “Ksahkomitapi,” lived in one realm; sky beings, or “Spomitapi,” lived in another realm; and underwater beings, or “Soyiitapi,” lived in yet another realm. The Blackfeet viewed all three worlds as sacred because within them lived the divine.</p>
<p>The water world, in particular, was held in special regard. The Blackfeet believed that in addition to the divine beings, about which they learned from <a href="http://www.nebraskapress.unl.edu/product/Invisible-Reality,677467.aspx">their stories,</a> there were divine animals, such as the beaver. The divine beaver, who could talk to humans, taught the Blackfeet their most important religious ceremony. The Blackfeet needed this ceremony to reaffirm their relationships with the three separate realms of reality.</p>
<p>The Soyiitapi, divine water beings, also instructed the Blackfeet to protect their home, the water world. The Blackfeet could not kill or eat anything living in water; they also could not disturb or pollute water.</p>
<p>The Blackfeet viewed water as a distinct place – a sacred place. It was the home of divine beings and divine animals who taught the Blackfeet religious rituals and moral restrictions on human behavior. It can, in fact, be compared to Mount Sinai of the <a href="https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Exodus-Chapter-1/">Old Testament</a>, which was viewed as “holy ground” and where God gave Moses the Ten Commandments.</p>
<h2>Water as life</h2>
<p>Native American tribes on the Great Plains knew something else about the relationship between themselves, the beaver and water. They learned through observation that beavers helped create an ecological oasis within a dry and arid landscape. </p>
<p>As Canadian anthropologist R. Grace Morgan hypothesized in her dissertation “<a href="https://era.library.ualberta.ca/files/df65vb64j#.WMxDHW_yvX4">Beaver Ecology/Beaver Mythology</a>,” the Blackfeet sanctified the beaver because they understood the natural science and ecology of beaver behavior. </p>
<p>Morgan believed that the Blackfeet did not harm the beaver because <a href="http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/leave-it-to-beavers-leave-it-to-beavers/8836/">beavers built dams</a> on creeks and rivers. Such dams could produce enough of a diversion to create a pond of fresh clean water that allowed an oasis of plant life to grow and wildlife to flourish.</p>
<p>Beaver ponds provided the Blackfeet with water for daily life. The ponds also attracted animals, which meant the Blackfeet did not have to travel long distances to hunt. The Blackfeet did not need to travel for plants used for medicine or food, as well. </p>
<p>Beaver ponds were a win-win for all concerned in “the Great American desert” that <a href="https://theconversation.com/give-beavers-permanent-residence-wed-be-dam-stupid-not-to-55256">modern ecologists and conservationists</a> are beginning to study only now.</p>
<p>For the Blackfeet, Lakota and other tribes of the Great Plains, water was “life.” They understood what it meant to live in a dry arid place, which they expressed through their religion and within their ecological knowledge.</p>
<h2>Rights of Mother Earth</h2>
<p>Indigenous people from around the world share these beliefs about the sacredness of water. </p>
<p>The government of New Zealand recently recognized the ancestral connection of the Maori people to their water. On March 15, the government passed the “Te Awa Tupua <a href="http://www.legislation.govt.nz/bill/government/2016/0129/latest/DLM6830851.html?src=qs">Whanganui River Claims Settlement</a> Bill,” which provides “personhood” status to the Whanganui River, one of the largest rivers on the North Island of New Zealand. This river has come to be recognized as having “all the rights, powers, duties, and liabilities of a legal person” – something the Maori believed all along. </p>
<p>Many other countries have come to view the natural world and water from a similar perspective. In Bolivia, for example, the government passed laws in 2010 and 2012 for the “<a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1057/s41268-016-0001-0">Law of the Rights of Mother Earth</a>,” which were motivated by the belief that nature has legal rights. The <a href="http://pdba.georgetown.edu/Constitutions/Ecuador/english08.html">Ecuadorian constitution</a> in 2008 recognized the rights of “Nature, or Pacha Mama,” with “respect for its existence,” which included water.</p>
<p>The United States does not have such laws. This is why the Standing Rock Lakota have been demanding for almost a year a right to clean water – free from the threat of potential environmental harm and to protect its sacredness.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/74732/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Rosalyn R. LaPier does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>For the Blackfeet, Lakota and other Native American people, water does more than sustain life – it’s the place of the divine.Rosalyn R. LaPier, Research Associate of Women's Studies, Environmental Studies and Native American Religion, Harvard Divinity School, Harvard UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.