Smyth, Kimberley Grace Te Rangi2024-07-102024-07-102023https://mro.massey.ac.nz/handle/10179/70134Many mental health approaches used in Aotearoa, New Zealand are predominately Global North top-down approaches and do not adhere to Te Tiriti o Waitangi because they do not have substantive consultation and collaboration with Māori. Top-down approaches risk perpetuating culturally unsafe practices that do not achieve improved mental health outcomes for Māori clients. Community-based approaches that collaborate with Māori, empower them to build upon their own cultural strengths to benefit their mental health and well-being. This master’s thesis explores what a tikanga-informed, culturally safe framework for mental health could look like from a localised perspective. There were two research aims. The first aim was to identify tikanga-informed values for improving mental health and well-being for Māori specific to Bream Bay. The second aim was to develop a localised tikanga-informed framework for improving Māori mental health and well-being, which can be used by the Bream Bay Community Support Trust (BBCST) to provide culturally safe support for their clients. This study is based on Kaupapa Māori theory and utilises a Kaupapa Māori research qualitative approach via semi-structured interviews and hui. Thirteen participants were interviewed. They were experts in mātauranga Māori, tikanga Māori, and mental health or education. The study identified five tikanga-informed values that could contribute to improving the mental health and well-being of Māori in Bream Bay. These values were foundational in developing a strengths-based mental health and well-being framework, Māwhaiwhai Kaupapa. Notably, this project demonstrates how localised tikanga-based approaches can be developed collaboratively for the benefit of a community. This study contributes to new knowledge by joining the small pool of bottom-up Indigenous studies for mental health and well-being. This research is further significant because this knowledge can provide a template for other Māori health providers as a basis for developing their own tikanga models of health.enThe authorMāori Masters ThesisThesis451013 Mātauranga hinengaro kaupapa Māori (Māori psychology)451015 Te hauora me te oranga tūmatanui o te Māori (Māori public health and wellbeing)