"Wake up, Sheeple!" Conspiracy theories and Māori during the COVID-19 pandemic

This situation report outlines some of the literature about conspiracy theories and its application to Māori during the COVID-19 pandemic. This report shows that while there are some psychological factors at play with regard to vulnerability to conspiracy theories, it appears that issues around power and powerlessness are most applicable to Māori, given our historical and political context. The report also advocates for a manaakitanga-informed approach to dealing with whānau who are disseminating conspiracy theories. A manaakitanga-informed approach is about continuing to treat whānau and friends with respect and supporting and nurturing relationships.

Tangi te Kawekaweā: Whānau engagement in Kaupapa Māori Early Years Provision-an exploratory qualitative study

Kaupapa Māori early years provision (KM-EYP) is often understood as a critical site for Māori cultural revitalisation, where a foundation for the educational success and lifelong wellbeing of tamariki Māori is laid. Given its importance, the Tangi te Kawekaweā study sought to identify and examine barriers and facilitators of whānau engagement in KM-EYP. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with individual whānau members (n = 19) and whānau groups (n = 5) enrolled in one centre for KM-EYP, and with expert informants (n = 10). This paper reports on the insights gained. Inductive thematic analysis identified barriers to engagement (e.g., historical trauma, whakamā, whānau disconnection) and facilitators of engagement (e.g., critical awareness, emotional and practical support, whānauranga). These findings have the potential to inform policy and practice to enhance whānau Māori engagement in the learning and development opportunities offered by KM-EYP and the early years sector more broadly.

The impact of the COVID-19 level 4 lockdown on food security among whānau of decile 1 schools

Interviews with stakeholders in deprived Hawke’s Bay schools early in the COVID-19 lockdown documented exacerbated food insecurity among school whānau. Our enquiry highlights the support role played by well-informed teacher aides and school–whānau networks, which were easily and inexpensively resourced, intuitive, proactive and collaborative, ensuring whānau access to appropriate support according to need. We expect our findings to further inform such initiatives in any further lockdown. Additionally, we posit that such school-based operations could become the nexus of a primary foodsecurity hub, alongside the Lunches in Schools programme, working in a tailor-made fashion bespoke to whānau without a charity or welfare label. Given the recent well-resourced COVID-19-related investment into the business world and the ongoing lack of progress in the reduction of child poverty, in the post-COVID-19-lockdown environment, simple structural rearrangements for the chronically food insecure are likely to become politically acceptable to the nation.

Is This Professor Māori? Personal reflections on identity in academia in Aotearoa New Zealand

This article has been inspired by “Why Isn’t My Professor Māori?” (McAllister et al., 2019), an article which appeared in this journal and addressed the under-representation of, and inequities facing, Māori academic staff in universities in Aotearoa New Zealand. I present some personal reflections and raise some questions with regard to academics with Māori heritage but who struggle to identify as Māori. I also describe some of the discomfort of being in the “middle ground” of cultural identity and how this has come about, and argue that we need to engage with such troubled identities and histories if we are to decolonise ourselves and our universities.

Te whare tapa whā: The impact of physical distancing on the health and well-being of kuia and koroheke

The effects of the COVID-19 lockdown and physical distancing were broad, impacting multiple sectors, particularly health, for Māori and Indigenous peoples. This situation report considers health and well-being using Te Whare Tapa Whā, and looks at the experiences and voices of kuia and koroheke—considered to be at high risk of contracting coronavirus—to better understand their health and well-being impacts from physical distancing. This report then reflects on these experiences to identify how help groups can best support communities in future lockdown situations. The recommendations for future support efforts are threefold and centre on increasing coordination amongst the efforts of the different help groups, using a holistic approach such as Te Whare Tapa Whā to address the various pillars of health, and considering individual health and well-being needs.

The Initial COVID-19 Rāhui: Resilience among social work tauira in Tairāwhiti and Hawke's Bay

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in some significant changes in tertiary education in Aotearoa New Zealand. This situation report identifies the current situation and the issues and challenges for social work degree students at the Eastern Institute of Technology’s campuses in Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti. The report highlights the resilience of tauira in these challenging times. It also proposes a way forward for future learning that supports tikanga and the diverse needs and realities of tauira.

He Piki Raukura: Understanding Strengths-based Māori child development constructs in Kaupapa Māori early years provision

The importance of early childhood education programmes has been widely established by researchers, but there has been little research on the outcomes of early childhood Kaupapa Māori educational initiatives in Aotearoa New Zealand. The aim of the research project reported here, He Piki Raukura, was to define Māori child behaviour constructs that may underlie positive Māori child development. We conducted in-depth interviews with two experts and 21 whānau participating in a Kaupapa Māori early years programme in Taranaki. Five themes were identified: local Māori identity; building whānau/ community; commitment to a shared kaupapa; clear and consistent processes; and dealing with issues positively. Through wānanga, four Māori child behaviour constructs were defined: tuakiri (secure local Māori identity); whānauranga (acting as a member of whānau); manawaroa (persisting despite difficulty); and piripono (integrity, commitment and responsibility for a shared kaupapa). These constructs provide novel ways of understanding child development that can be applied to explore how Kaupapa Māori early years initiatives might impact on development.