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    Hapine nga harakeke : drawing the moisture held within the harakeke : a thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education (Adult Ed.), Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2006) Puketapu-Dahm, Ngatau Aroha
    The journey through life is one many people never assess until it flashes before their eyes. On the other hand many people dedicate their lives to assessing their journey in life and seldom accomplish anything of real substance. Self-assessment of a personal journey can assist one with future decision-making and reconciling consequences of decisions made. This is my journey of that process. I identify with the Maori population in Aotearoa. It is the assessment of the things I cannot change which interest me: the assessment of an individual journey and the detailing of cultural norms and values: the comparison of a parallel process of those cultural norms found within the bible and the reconciliation of my ethos as a christian, Maori, woman. This is not a traditional piece of work as I do not classify myself as the traditional university student. I am a second chance learner, an adult student who studied on an extramural programme which was facilitated on a local marae. The traditional upbringing which I have experienced has taught me to think holistically in every facet of life. Working in the tertiary education sector I have had to continually translate for myself the traditional Maori holistic worldview into the western individual, scientific, compartmentalized perspective. After this point translation back again into the Maori worldview needs to take place. This process occurs first in the mind and then needs to be written on paper. This process is quite difficult and takes some time to work through. However this is a key factor in choosing to attempt a piece of work that is perhaps not quite in keeping with general expectations. [FROM INTRODUCTION]
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    A struggle towards a theory of professionalism for Māori women educators : a thesis submitted to Massey University in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education
    (Massey University, 1996) Bowkett, Makao Teresa
    The primary objective of this thesis focused upon the life stories and experiences of wahine Māori in order to identify, define and describe the factors that contribute to the success of wahine Māori in leadership positions at secondary school level, and the ensuing struggle in the evolvement of a Māori women's professionalism. Data was collected through a questionnaire, interviews and literature reviews. This study draws on the contributions of a sample of ten wahine Māori currently working in education, discussing aspects of their early schooling, whānau, teaching careers, coping with pressures in teaching, future aspirations in education and commenting on the status, and issues related to the struggles confronting wahine Māori in secondary schools. Whilst the sample for this study is relatively small, it is nevertheless representative of a diverse range of ages, backgrounds and experience. The research is a starting point which could work to inspire, guide and support other wahine Māori venturing into secondary school teaching careers as newcomers.
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    A case study for helping to prevent postnatal depression : towards a cultural tool for Maori women : a thesis presented for the Masters degree of Philosophy, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2005) Merritt, Marama
    Postnatal depression is a depressive illness that affects 10-20% of all women. However, in societies with strong kin-based support structures and where customs and rituals are integral to everyday life, there is a very low incidence of postnatal depression. Indeed, there is little mention of depression in pregnancy and motherhood within traditional Maori society. Today, through the impact of colonisation, Maori women live in a very different world to that of their ancestors. The dissolution of the whanau structure, the loss of Te Reo and customs, the increase of solo-parent families and families living in poverty, the effects of drug and alcohol abuse and the increase in family violence mean that Maori women are more likely to suffer from depressive and anxiety based illness than non-Maori. Despite this statistic, there has been very little research conducted around Maori women and maternal mental health. This research attempts to identify the key issues that affect Maori women during pregnancy and motherhood and which impact on their maternal mental health. It also provides a critical analysis of the efficacy of current maternal mental health services, treatment and tools in meeting the needs of Maori women. Finally, these insights provide the basis for recommendations to improve maternal mental health services for Maori women and principles to guide the development of a tool to help prevent postnatal depression in Maori women. Ultimately this research is about realigning our thinking about working with Maori women and maternal health. The focus is on providing services, tools and an environment that is collaborative and draws on a range of resources to help Maori mothers succeed in all areas of their life, validating the use of cultural rituals, customs and practices within service provision. There is also a need to conduct research that recognises the diverse circumstances and needs of Maori women and that draws on Kaupapa Maori epistemology and paradigms to inform the research. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, this research clearly illustrates the importance of strong whanau structures and systems and the need to provide a society that allows Maori women to benefit from the support of friends and family, regardless of how that 'whanau' is defined.
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    Purposeful conception : customary traditions and contemporary applications of Te Whare Tangata in the creation of wellbeing : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for a Master of Philosophy in Rehabilitation Studies at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2015) Smith, Raewyn
    Māori continue to feature significantly in New Zealand statistics for mental health. Customary traditions and contemporary applications of te whare tangata in creating wellbeing discusses the ways in which te whare tangata traditions were engaged to protect and nurture Māori women in their role as the architects of future generations and further ensure positive wellbeing. Framed inside qualitative research methods and guided by kaupapa Māori research theories provided a tikanga framework, thereby maintaining cultural responsiveness to the research using Mana wāhine theories and providing a safe space to discuss the historic struggle Māori women have endured as a result of colonisation. Six Māori women of kuia status from Te Taitokerau participated in semi-structured interviews, discussing their observations, experience and active roles of te whare tangata across their life span. Kuia narratives are organised into the three stages of creation - Te Kore, Te Pō and Te Ao Mārama - with each stage representing a significant developmental period in te whare tangata. The customary traditions of te whare tangata have their origins in Māori cosmology which provided Māori with the blueprint to survive in volatile environments, none more volatile than the migration of western cultures and colonisation, which took Māori to the brink of extinction. However, Kuia Participants share stories of resistance and resilience in their own journeys through life and of how the customary traditions of te whare tangata have been transformed and remain relevant. Kuia narratives consistently reflect upon relationship building and maintenance being at the core of Māori wellbeing. They spoke about relationships not only being across human cultures, but the ability to develop relationships with all that surround us.
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    In the path of the ancestresses : a philosophical exploration of mana wahine Maori : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Philosophy at Massey University
    (Massey University, 1992) Wyse, Rosemary Therese
    Some customs and beliefs within Maori tradition appear to countenance a view of the subordinate status of Maori women. For instance, it is customary for women to sit at a lower level than men during formal occasions on the marae. There is also a general belief that while men are tapu (frequently translated as meaning sacred) women are tapu only in "special circumstances" (Schwimmer 1966:20). In a similar vein, it is claimed that moral and spiritual matters are the prerogative of Maori males while Maori women are responsible for the physical or material aspects of life (Barlow 1991:147-148). I intend to establish that if Maori ethics is based on precedent (Patterson 1992:155) then the view of Maori women as a group being subordinate to their men is inappropriate. The deeds of the ancestors, handed down through the generations within the traditional narratives, provide the models for correct behaviour. These models do not support a view of female inferiority but confirm a female status and authority which is equal to but different from that attributed to males. It is, I believe, unnecessary to the purpose of this thesis to challenge the metaphysical aspects of the Maori world view. As a Pakeha using Western philosophical techniques to explore Maori concepts, it would be inappropriate for me to do so. More importantly for this writer, there are many Maori women who regard traditional, spiritually based customs and beliefs as the means by which they and their families may retain Maori cultural identity. My aim is to establish that even in traditional terms, the notion of female subordination runs counter to the ethical ideals established by the ancestors and ancestresses. I will argue that a distinctively female approach to determining ethical ideals is not only desirable but required by precedent within Maori ethics. It is tika (appropriate or correct) for Maori women to follow in the steps of their ancestresses and those who do so will In turn be remembered, their deeds related, identifiable as ethical models. The publicly held principle of conjoining morality and spirituality as an exclusively male concern may be an ethical interpretation, but not an appropriate one, as evidenced by the concept, mana wahine Maori.
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    A study of the factors which contribute to success for Māori women in tertiary education : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy, Massey University
    (Massey University, 1996) Selby, Rachael
    This thesis is a study of the factors which contribute to success for Māori women in tertiary education. It focuses on the success of six Māori women who are in positions of responsibility and decision making in various education institutions and agencies. They were students enrolled at Queen Victoria School for Māori Girls in 1961 and have all achieved success in tertiary education over the past thirty years. The focus on success factors is in part a response to the frustration felt by Māori at the concentration on failure, underachievement and barriers to success evident in much of the research which has been sponsored and supported over the past three decades. It is argued in this thesis that it is as important to identify success factors as it is to identify barriers to achievement. This study will complement the many positive initiatives which Māori, particularly women, have taken in the last twenty years of this century to regain control of the education of our children through kōhanga reo and kura kaupapa Māori, by providing relevant research material for consideration. The women's stories are presented as oral narratives in the women's own words. They are a contribution to the body of literature recording the lives of Māori women in Aotearoa, a body of literature which, though currently disappointingly small, is significant. A primary feature of the study is that Māori women are central and essential as kaitautoko, kaiākihaere, research participants, kaiwhakapakari and kaiāwhina. Māori women were supervisors and transcribers. As the researcher, I am a Māori woman. The research is based upon Treaty of Waitangi principles and within tikanga Māori as outlined in the methodology chapter of the thesis The worlds from which the women in this study came are worlds of the past, worlds which Māori currently seek to restore and duplicate within such structures as kōhanga reo, kura kaupapa and wānanga. Modern communication, an international economy and globalisation work against the duplication of the world from which these women came, but attention to the factors which enabled them to live and succeed in two worlds are the some of the factors which must be duplicated in this and the next generation to promote further success by Māori women in education.
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    Te mahi kaipaipa i waenganui i nga tamahine Maori : nga ahuatanga e pa ana ki enei tawaitanga = Young Maori women and smoking : knowledge, attitudes, initiation and maintenance : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Psychology at Massey University
    (Massey University, 1995) Orbell, Claire Rachel
    Cigarette smoking leads to many of the most harmful diseases of our time. The prevalence of smoking is excessively high amongst young Maori women. Most research has focused on knowledge of the health consequences associated with smoking, and attitudes toward cigarette smoking. Teaching individuals of the health consequences of smoking and attempting to change individuals' assumed positive attitudes toward smoking have been the basis for smoking prevention and cessation programmes Recent research suggests these programmes are ineffective in preventing or eliminating smoking. The process of initiation into cigarette smoking is not well understood. Also, the maintenance of cigarette smoking after initiation is not well understood. This is a mixed method study with young Maori women participants. The study includes both smokers and non-smokers. Non-smokers are almost always excluded from research into smoking but are a valuable source of information on smoking. A quantitative methodology was employed and a questionnaire developed to investigate young Maori women's knowledge and attitudes toward cigarette smoking. A qualitative methodology was used and a semi-structured interview developed to explore young Maori women's thoughts, feelings and experiences of initiation and maintenance of cigarette smoking. The aims of this study are to assess participants' knowledge of the health consequences of smoking and participants' attitudes toward smoking. The study also explores participants thoughts, feelings and experiences of smoking with an emphasis on the initiation and maintenance of smoking behaviour. Results indicate participants possess good knowledge of the health consequences of smoking. Participants were found to possess negative attitudes toward smoking. However, smokers were found to have more positive attitudes toward smoking than non-smokers. These findings are consistent with previous research. Results also indicate that social factors play the greatest role in both initiation and maintenance of smoking in young Maori women. Recommendations for future research and practical suggestions for prevention and cessation programmes are made.
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    Te kete, the briefcase, te tuara : the balancing act-- Maori women in the primary sector : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Educational Administration, Massey University
    (Massey University, 1999) Waitere-Ang, Hine-tu-whiria-o-te-Rangi Jane
    This thesis examines the educational experiences of eight Maori women. It draws from their reflections as students and teachers to investigate the ways in which they strategised their negotiation of educational contexts not conducive to their interests or needs. The thesis utilises metaphor across the theoretical and discussion chapters initially to describe, and then draw out the main themes emerging from this research. Patu as a metaphor is used in this thesis to enable a discussion about institutions as networks which through discursive practice link and centre particular thought processes, social structure and ways of behaving which for instrumental purposes need to be emulated by all others. Entering or accessing the social networks reproduced in institutions requires an engagement with ways of knowing, ways of structuring what is known, processes of engagement and validation, delineated by cultural, gendered and class imperatives. Through a network analytic lens successful participation in institutions is not based on individuals per se but on how individuals are placed in resource rich networks providing access to institutional rewards advanced by groups and endorsed by collectives that validate particular individuals and attempt to invalidate others. The kete and the briefcase both depicted as cultural repositories delineated the two cultural borders negotiated. The kete describes the participants' self ascribed identity. The briefcase exemplifies the institutional contexts that attempt to define the kete in its own terms. The tuara metaphorically represents the counter hegemonic strategies used by participants to balance and counter balance institutionalised views of themselves. The research analyses and interprets their experience drawn from individual, paired and group focus interviews to explore the use of making silence and breaking silence as strategies.
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    Ngā pūrākau o ngā wāhine rangatira Māori o Aotearoa = The stories of Māori women leaders in New Zealand : a thesis presented for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology, Massey University [Albany, New Zealand]
    (Massey University, 2012) Wirihana, Rebecca
    Maori women form the backbone of Maori communities and have long worked within political, health, social, legal, religious and educational community environments to enhance the status and wellbeing of Maori communities. Traditionally, Maori were seen as maintaining roles of balance, harmony, and leadership in te ao Maori (the Maori world). This study sought to explore the life experiences of Maori women leaders and how these have been influential on their roles as leaders in Maori communities. Thirteen women were identified by Maori in their communities as leaders and were interviewed using purakau (traditional Maori narratives) as a method for life story narrative research in kanohi ki te kanohi (face to face) interviews. Using a research analysis framework based on purakau and the four words which comprise its whole, pu (source), ra (light), ka (past, present, future), and u (from within), four important research findings emerged. First, their source of leadership began from their ukaipo (early childhood nurturing and protection) and was sustained by their connections to whakapapa (genealogy, descent) and guided by whanau (family) expectations. Second, particular experiences which led to enlightenment were important in sustaining and guiding their roles as leaders through the development of moemoea (visions, aspirations) for their communities. These experiences involved wairua (spirituality), matauranga (education) and experiences of racism and discrimination. Third, future aspirations in their roles as leaders were strongly influenced by past and present experiences in their specific social, historical and political contexts. Fourth, the individual attributes these women brought to their roles as leaders enhanced their roles in Maori communities. These attributes were nurtured and encouraged from generation to generation in Maori communities particularly through traditional Maori narratives such as whakatauki (proverbs) and purakau. These findings were interpreted to show how Maori leadership has evolved to meet the needs of Maori communities, and how Maori women have been actively involved in meeting and advancing these needs. As a result, this study provided insights into how leadership in te ao Maori was developed and can be used to encourage leadership in future generations.
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    Koorero tuku iho : waahine Maaori : voices from the embers of Rangiaowhia : a thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master in Adult Education at College of Education, Massey University, Palmerston North
    (Massey University, 2013) Coromandel-Wander, Hazel
    When will the mokopuna stop inheriting the hara of Rangiaowhia? Koorero tuku iho, is based on oral traditions praxis of my kuia as ‘handed down’ by three generations of her whaanau, for her mokopuna. Her eyewitness account of the massacre at Rangiaowhia February 1864, ‘talks back’ to the oppressive power systems that brand the indigenous as guilty. “History can frequently dismiss whole groups of people as lost causes, or as irrelevant. Entire sections of society, usually the poor, the minorities, and the politically powerless are thereby obliterated from memory (Binney & Chaplin 1990:3)”. Ultimately, it is only through re-claiming, re-defining and re-storing of the principle of tino rangatiratanga that the hara can be lifted from Ngaati Apakura mokopuna. However, it is through the discursive practice of koorero tuku iho by and from Ngaati Apakura voices that the burden and prejudice can be brought out of obscurity into open dialogue with the Crown. This study is an indigenous history lesson on core taonga tuku iho praxis as handed down from grandmother to mokopuna in daily actions that seek to restore the balance. This is the legacy of the waahine Maaori intergenerational indigenous literacy’s that seek for indigenous justice and freedom from oppression.