title: What do we know about the intersection of being blind and being Māori in Aotearoa New Zealand? Taking an applied community psychology approach to a systematic review of the published literature

authors: Graham, Rebekah Sarah

subjects: Disability

abstract: Self-determination and dignity are guaranteed rights for disabled persons under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. However, such rights have been slow to eventuate for Maori (Indigenous people of Aotearoa New Zealand). This paper brings together systematic fashion publications that currently exist regarding blindness and Maori, centring throughout Maori understandings of disability and blindness. We employed a structured approach alongside PRISMA protocols and reflexive dialogue. Included publications were quantitative data reviews, surveys, qualitative studies, literature reviews, and works of fiction. For our analysis, we formulated a matrix that drew from Kaupapa Maori, applied community psychology, and disability rights literature. This meant we made explicit where research practices included—and excluded—self-determination, democratic participation, and inclusion of both disabled and Maori. Our review highlights inconsistency across disciplines regarding self-determination and democratic participation by both Maori and disabled key stakeholders. Our approach can be utilised across disciplines as a tool for considering the ways in which researchers uphold Indigenous self-determination, disability rights, and data sovereignty. Please refer to the Supplementary Material section to find this article's Community and Social Impact Statement.

text: What do we know about the intersection of being blind and being Māori in Aotearoa New Zealand? Taking an applied community psychology approach to a systematic review of the published literature Self-determination and dignity are guaranteed rights for disabled persons under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. However, such rights have been slow to eventuate for Maori (Indigenous people of Aotearoa New Zealand). This paper brings together systematic fashion publications that currently exist regarding blindness and Maori, centring throughout Maori understandings of disability and blindness. We employed a structured approach alongside PRISMA protocols and reflexive dialogue. Included publications were quantitative data reviews, surveys, qualitative studies, literature reviews, and works of fiction. For our analysis, we formulated a matrix that drew from Kaupapa Maori, applied community psychology, and disability rights literature. This meant we made explicit where research practices included—and excluded—self-determination, democratic participation, and inclusion of both disabled and Maori. Our review highlights inconsistency across disciplines regarding self-determination and democratic participation by both Maori and disabled key stakeholders. Our approach can be utilised across disciplines as a tool for considering the ways in which researchers uphold Indigenous self-determination, disability rights, and data sovereignty. Please refer to the Supplementary Material section to find this article's Community and Social Impact Statement.

year: 2023

title: An Evaluation of an Impaired Driver Treatment Programme Facilitated by Tūhoe Hauora

authors: Waru, Nicole Arihia

subjects: Tuhoe Hauora

abstract: Driving while impaired is a substantial issue in Aotearoa.  It has the potential to result in loss of life and cause significant health and economic strain on society.  Recidivist impaired drivers are major contributors to this problem.  Countermeasures of impaired driving have previously included liquor licencing, drinking age restrictions, health promotion campaigns and health rehabilitation therapies.  The Ministry of Health offer an Impaired Driving therapy throughout Aotearoa as countermeasure to this issue.  The programme is administered through the funder-contract system. Participation is compulsory for those mandated by court order.  
This study evaluates an Impaired Driver programme facilitated by Tūhoe Hauora; a kaupapa Māori mental health and addiction provider based in Taneatua, Eastern Bay of Plenty.  The course is delivered once weekly over a period of ten weeks to a group of twelve or less recidivist impaired drivers or first time offenders who were convicted of driving with excessive levels of breath alcohol.    
The evaluation draws from a community psychology paradigm in exploration of the lived experiences of programme participants, in the context of course 2 of the 2014 Tūhoe Hauora Impaired Driving course.  
The experiences of five individuals were explored using in-depth face to face interviews and presented using a case-by-case approach.  Participant observation, document review, evaluation visits and participant surveys were used as supplement methods of inquiry.  The findings illustrated that Tūhoe Hauora met contract requirements by addressing impaired driving recidivism to date of interview.  The evaluation also found the course actualising the mission of Tūhoe Hauora which was to address the holistic well-being of programme participants.  The research did present areas in the programme that could be improved particularly pertaining to the referral process and a need for agency collaboration.  Recommendations were formulated in attempt to address the programme gaps and discussion is offered in addressing the multi-layered oppression that was experienced throughout the evaluation process by both Tūhoe Hauora and the evaluation participants.

text: An Evaluation of an Impaired Driver Treatment Programme Facilitated by Tūhoe Hauora Driving while impaired is a substantial issue in Aotearoa.  It has the potential to result in loss of life and cause significant health and economic strain on society.  Recidivist impaired drivers are major contributors to this problem.  Countermeasures of impaired driving have previously included liquor licencing, drinking age restrictions, health promotion campaigns and health rehabilitation therapies.  The Ministry of Health offer an Impaired Driving therapy throughout Aotearoa as countermeasure to this issue.  The programme is administered through the funder-contract system. Participation is compulsory for those mandated by court order.  
This study evaluates an Impaired Driver programme facilitated by Tūhoe Hauora; a kaupapa Māori mental health and addiction provider based in Taneatua, Eastern Bay of Plenty.  The course is delivered once weekly over a period of ten weeks to a group of twelve or less recidivist impaired drivers or first time offenders who were convicted of driving with excessive levels of breath alcohol.    
The evaluation draws from a community psychology paradigm in exploration of the lived experiences of programme participants, in the context of course 2 of the 2014 Tūhoe Hauora Impaired Driving course.  
The experiences of five individuals were explored using in-depth face to face interviews and presented using a case-by-case approach.  Participant observation, document review, evaluation visits and participant surveys were used as supplement methods of inquiry.  The findings illustrated that Tūhoe Hauora met contract requirements by addressing impaired driving recidivism to date of interview.  The evaluation also found the course actualising the mission of Tūhoe Hauora which was to address the holistic well-being of programme participants.  The research did present areas in the programme that could be improved particularly pertaining to the referral process and a need for agency collaboration.  Recommendations were formulated in attempt to address the programme gaps and discussion is offered in addressing the multi-layered oppression that was experienced throughout the evaluation process by both Tūhoe Hauora and the evaluation participants.

year: 2016

title: Zooplankton communities in small Waikato lakes and ponds: are natural waters and farm dams the same?

authors: Le Quesne, Kelly Sarah

subjects: rural ponds

abstract: Ponds have been identified as biodiversity ‘hotspots’ that play an important role in supporting and maintaining biodiversity. In freshwater ecosystems, zooplankton are an essential trophic link between algae and fish, and some species act as biological indicators for aquatic system ‘health’. Most research pertaining to zooplankton biodiversity and community assemblages is skewed towards large lakes, reservoirs or urban ponds, while research on small ponds in rural environments is scarce. Consequently, the aim of my research was to examine and compare the biodiversity and community composition of zooplankton in natural ponds and dams in rural environments. To achieve this, 19 farm dams and 19 natural farm ponds in the Waikato region, New Zealand, were sampled for zooplankton in winter/spring (Aug-Sep 2018) and summer (Jan 2019). Environmental factors also were measured, including water temperature, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, water colour (gilvin), pH, chlorophyll-a, nutrient concentrations (total nitrogen and phosphorus), elevation, pond surface area and the number of waterbodies within a 2 km radius.

All ponds were eutrophic to hypertrophic, and genera typical of these environments, such as Brachionus, Keratella and Polyarthra, were common in both farm dams and natural ponds. Zooplankton species richness was similar among farm dams and natural ponds (20.7 and 22.4 species, respectively; t-test p = 0.406), although there was a lot of variation within each pond type. Temperature (stepwise linear regression R² = 0.26; p = 0.025) and pond surface area (stepwise linear regression R² = 0.23; p = 0.016) were significant predictors of species richness in natural ponds; however, no significant relationships could be found between the measured environmental variables and species richness for farm dams. Zooplankton community composition differed between farm dams and natural ponds (one-way ANOSIM p = 0.014). A SIMPER analysis indicated that crustaceans (e.g., Chydorus sp., Acanthocyclops robustus and Simocephalus vetulus) were generally more abundant in natural ponds than in farm dams, whereas rotifers (e.g., Polyarthra dolichoptera and Keratella tecta) were more abundant in farm dams than in natural ponds. A canonical correspondence analysis indicated that variation in zooplankton community composition among natural ponds was explained by dissolved oxygen concentration (p = 0.002) and conductivity levels (p = 0.020). In contrast, the community composition of zooplankton in farm dams could not be explained by any of the measured environmental variables. Two genera (Erignatha clastopis and Octotrocha speciosa) and one species (Cephalodella theodora) were recorded that had not previously been identified in New Zealand. In total, three non-indigenous species were recorded in 7% of farm dams and 2% of natural ponds studied.

My findings suggest that zooplankton communities differ between farm dams and natural ponds. Farm dams are primarily composed of a relatively unstructured subset of small, eurytopic and opportunistic zooplankton species (e.g., of Brachionus and Keratella). On the other hand, natural pond assemblages consisted of larger zooplankton species that are better adapted to the local conditions (e.g., Chydorus sp. and Simocephalus vetulus). This suggests natural ponds have had a longer period of time for more slowly dispersing species to colonise, whereas farm dams contain species that are capable of dispersing at much faster rates. Further, my results highlight that when examining environmental determinants of zooplankton community composition in water bodies across the landscape, natural and constructed ponds should be separated, as they appear to be structured by different variables. The prevalence of non-indigenous species in farm dams appears low relative to lakes and urban ponds in New Zealand, likely due to limited movement between ponds by humans. This suggests that these waterbodies are not acting as ‘stepping stones’ for non-indigenous species across rural landscapes. Overall, my research highlights the diverse taxa found in small agricultural ponds, and improves our knowledge and understanding of zooplankton communities in small natural and constructed ponds. Further, these findings emphasize the need for management and conservation of small water bodies, as they play a significant role in maintaining and supporting zooplankton communities (including rare species).

text: Zooplankton communities in small Waikato lakes and ponds: are natural waters and farm dams the same? Ponds have been identified as biodiversity ‘hotspots’ that play an important role in supporting and maintaining biodiversity. In freshwater ecosystems, zooplankton are an essential trophic link between algae and fish, and some species act as biological indicators for aquatic system ‘health’. Most research pertaining to zooplankton biodiversity and community assemblages is skewed towards large lakes, reservoirs or urban ponds, while research on small ponds in rural environments is scarce. Consequently, the aim of my research was to examine and compare the biodiversity and community composition of zooplankton in natural ponds and dams in rural environments. To achieve this, 19 farm dams and 19 natural farm ponds in the Waikato region, New Zealand, were sampled for zooplankton in winter/spring (Aug-Sep 2018) and summer (Jan 2019). Environmental factors also were measured, including water temperature, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, water colour (gilvin), pH, chlorophyll-a, nutrient concentrations (total nitrogen and phosphorus), elevation, pond surface area and the number of waterbodies within a 2 km radius.

All ponds were eutrophic to hypertrophic, and genera typical of these environments, such as Brachionus, Keratella and Polyarthra, were common in both farm dams and natural ponds. Zooplankton species richness was similar among farm dams and natural ponds (20.7 and 22.4 species, respectively; t-test p = 0.406), although there was a lot of variation within each pond type. Temperature (stepwise linear regression R² = 0.26; p = 0.025) and pond surface area (stepwise linear regression R² = 0.23; p = 0.016) were significant predictors of species richness in natural ponds; however, no significant relationships could be found between the measured environmental variables and species richness for farm dams. Zooplankton community composition differed between farm dams and natural ponds (one-way ANOSIM p = 0.014). A SIMPER analysis indicated that crustaceans (e.g., Chydorus sp., Acanthocyclops robustus and Simocephalus vetulus) were generally more abundant in natural ponds than in farm dams, whereas rotifers (e.g., Polyarthra dolichoptera and Keratella tecta) were more abundant in farm dams than in natural ponds. A canonical correspondence analysis indicated that variation in zooplankton community composition among natural ponds was explained by dissolved oxygen concentration (p = 0.002) and conductivity levels (p = 0.020). In contrast, the community composition of zooplankton in farm dams could not be explained by any of the measured environmental variables. Two genera (Erignatha clastopis and Octotrocha speciosa) and one species (Cephalodella theodora) were recorded that had not previously been identified in New Zealand. In total, three non-indigenous species were recorded in 7% of farm dams and 2% of natural ponds studied.

My findings suggest that zooplankton communities differ between farm dams and natural ponds. Farm dams are primarily composed of a relatively unstructured subset of small, eurytopic and opportunistic zooplankton species (e.g., of Brachionus and Keratella). On the other hand, natural pond assemblages consisted of larger zooplankton species that are better adapted to the local conditions (e.g., Chydorus sp. and Simocephalus vetulus). This suggests natural ponds have had a longer period of time for more slowly dispersing species to colonise, whereas farm dams contain species that are capable of dispersing at much faster rates. Further, my results highlight that when examining environmental determinants of zooplankton community composition in water bodies across the landscape, natural and constructed ponds should be separated, as they appear to be structured by different variables. The prevalence of non-indigenous species in farm dams appears low relative to lakes and urban ponds in New Zealand, likely due to limited movement between ponds by humans. This suggests that these waterbodies are not acting as ‘stepping stones’ for non-indigenous species across rural landscapes. Overall, my research highlights the diverse taxa found in small agricultural ponds, and improves our knowledge and understanding of zooplankton communities in small natural and constructed ponds. Further, these findings emphasize the need for management and conservation of small water bodies, as they play a significant role in maintaining and supporting zooplankton communities (including rare species).

year: 2019