Chanel Phillips (Ngāti Hine, Ngāpuhi), University of Otago
There is very little published research that examines why Māori have high rates of drowning despite a cultural connection to water, and fewer literature that examines water safety specifically from a Māori perspective. The significance of this work is in addressing this gap in the literature and providing an explicit kaupapa Māori approach to water safety. This PhD research and its subsequent research publications will better meet the needs of the Māori water safety sector and contribute directly to the health needs of Māori (with a focus around health pertaining to water) by investigating our health connection to wai (water) and improve outcomes of drowning for Māori – an area where Māori experience health disparity. Findings from this research will also contribute to Water Safety New Zealand’s Māori Strategy ‘Kia Maanu Kia Ora: Stay Afloat Stay Alive’.
This research intends to grow the existing kaupapa and strategies of the three communities I work with: Maripi Tuatini of Ngāti Apa Ngā Wairiki iwi in the Rangitikei region; Hauteruruku Waka Club of Kāti Huirapa ki Puketeraki hapū in Karitāne; and Te Taitimu Trust with the Makoare whānau in Hastings. This research highlights their unique approaches to water safety within their respective contexts and intimate knowledge in a river, estuary and ocean environment. Publications from this area of study will contribute to the current gap in the literature around Māori water safety and Māori health connection to the water. The potential for this research to contribute to the current Māori Water Safety Strategy in New Zealand is also a positive outcome of this work.