title: Using the stars to indigenize the public sphere: Matariki over New Zealand

authors: Hardy, Anna

subjects: Arts & Humanities

abstract: As the rate of affiliation to Christian identity continues to decline in Aotearoa New Zealand (only 49 percent of the population said they were Christian in the last census), public space has become more receptive to other forms of religiosity. In particular, community rituals around the winter movements of the Matariki (Pleiades) constellation have gained support since the year 2000. For instance, the capital city, Wellington, has replaced a centuries’ old British fireworks festival, Guy Fawkes, with an enlarged version of its Matariki celebrations: an action seen as a tipping point in the incorporation of Māori spiritual values into public life. Interactions between European colonisers and Māori have been characterised for more than 250 years by tensions between the relational thinking of Māori who see human beings as both participating in and constrained by an environment resonant with divine energies, and the quantitative, hierarchical, ‘Great Chain of Being’ model that had long been dominant among Europeans. Now, when the natural environment worldwide is under strain from population and economic pressures, it seems to some both appropriate and vital to look to epistemological and spiritual models that are intimately responsive to the specificities of location.

text: Using the stars to indigenize the public sphere: Matariki over New Zealand As the rate of affiliation to Christian identity continues to decline in Aotearoa New Zealand (only 49 percent of the population said they were Christian in the last census), public space has become more receptive to other forms of religiosity. In particular, community rituals around the winter movements of the Matariki (Pleiades) constellation have gained support since the year 2000. For instance, the capital city, Wellington, has replaced a centuries’ old British fireworks festival, Guy Fawkes, with an enlarged version of its Matariki celebrations: an action seen as a tipping point in the incorporation of Māori spiritual values into public life. Interactions between European colonisers and Māori have been characterised for more than 250 years by tensions between the relational thinking of Māori who see human beings as both participating in and constrained by an environment resonant with divine energies, and the quantitative, hierarchical, ‘Great Chain of Being’ model that had long been dominant among Europeans. Now, when the natural environment worldwide is under strain from population and economic pressures, it seems to some both appropriate and vital to look to epistemological and spiritual models that are intimately responsive to the specificities of location.

year: 2019

title: Whangai: remembering, understanding and experiencing

authors: McRae, Karyn Okeroa

subjects: adoption

abstract: The Māori customary practice of whangai is often equated with adoption or foster care.
There are, however, significant differences between the institutions. Adoption or foster care, tends to be mainly focused on the interests of the child. The institution of whangai, while being cognizant of the interests of the child, is weighted more towards establishing, nurturing and cementing relationships between individuals, families and broader relational networks. In this paper we draw on the lived experiences of six people who have been raised as whangai and/or have raised whangai. We were interested in their understanding of the cultural concept of whangai, how the customary practice of whangai has changed over time, and their projected thoughts on future generations’ experience of whangai. Findings suggest that the institution of whangai remains as a strong vehicle for both the care of children and for the nurturing of whangai kinship relationships. While participants recognised that contemporary Māori social environments have contributed toward multiple manifestations of whangai, most felt it to be an institution that will be valued and carried into the future.

text: Whangai: remembering, understanding and experiencing The Māori customary practice of whangai is often equated with adoption or foster care.
There are, however, significant differences between the institutions. Adoption or foster care, tends to be mainly focused on the interests of the child. The institution of whangai, while being cognizant of the interests of the child, is weighted more towards establishing, nurturing and cementing relationships between individuals, families and broader relational networks. In this paper we draw on the lived experiences of six people who have been raised as whangai and/or have raised whangai. We were interested in their understanding of the cultural concept of whangai, how the customary practice of whangai has changed over time, and their projected thoughts on future generations’ experience of whangai. Findings suggest that the institution of whangai remains as a strong vehicle for both the care of children and for the nurturing of whangai kinship relationships. While participants recognised that contemporary Māori social environments have contributed toward multiple manifestations of whangai, most felt it to be an institution that will be valued and carried into the future.

year: 2006

title: Original ArticleDaytime naps improve afternoon power and perceptual measures in elite rugby union athletes - A randomized cross-over trial

authors: Teece, Angus R.

subjects: Peak power

abstract: Daytime napping are used by elite athletes in both training and match-day settings. Currently, there are limited interventional studies on the efficacy of napping on physical performance in elite team-sport athletes. Therefore, the objective was to investigate the effect of a daytime nap (<1 h) on afternoon performance of peak power, reaction time, subjective wellness, and aerobic performance in professional rugby union athletes. A randomised cross-over design was carried out amongst 15 professional rugby union athletes. Athletes performed nap (NAP) and no nap (CON) conditions on two occasions, separated by one week. Baseline testing of reaction time, subjective wellness, and 6-s peak power test on a cycle ergometer was completed in the morning, followed by 2 x 45-minute training sessions, after which athletes completed the NAP or CON condition at 1200h. Following the nap period, baseline measures were retested in addition to a 30-minute fixed intensity interval cycle and a 4-minute maximal effort cycling test. A significant group x time interaction was determined for 6-s peak power output (+157.6 W, p<0.01, d=1.53), perceived fatigue (-0.2 AU, p=0.01, d=0.37) and muscle soreness (-0.1 AU, p=0.04, d=0.75) in favor of the NAP condition. A significantly lower perceived exertion rating (-1.2 AU, p<0.01, d=1.72) was recorded for the fixed intensity session in favour of NAP. This study highlights that utilizing daytime naps between training sessions on the same day improved afternoon peak power and lower perceptions of fatigue, soreness, and exertion during afternoon training in professional rugby union athletes.

text: Original ArticleDaytime naps improve afternoon power and perceptual measures in elite rugby union athletes - A randomized cross-over trial Daytime napping are used by elite athletes in both training and match-day settings. Currently, there are limited interventional studies on the efficacy of napping on physical performance in elite team-sport athletes. Therefore, the objective was to investigate the effect of a daytime nap (<1 h) on afternoon performance of peak power, reaction time, subjective wellness, and aerobic performance in professional rugby union athletes. A randomised cross-over design was carried out amongst 15 professional rugby union athletes. Athletes performed nap (NAP) and no nap (CON) conditions on two occasions, separated by one week. Baseline testing of reaction time, subjective wellness, and 6-s peak power test on a cycle ergometer was completed in the morning, followed by 2 x 45-minute training sessions, after which athletes completed the NAP or CON condition at 1200h. Following the nap period, baseline measures were retested in addition to a 30-minute fixed intensity interval cycle and a 4-minute maximal effort cycling test. A significant group x time interaction was determined for 6-s peak power output (+157.6 W, p<0.01, d=1.53), perceived fatigue (-0.2 AU, p=0.01, d=0.37) and muscle soreness (-0.1 AU, p=0.04, d=0.75) in favor of the NAP condition. A significantly lower perceived exertion rating (-1.2 AU, p<0.01, d=1.72) was recorded for the fixed intensity session in favour of NAP. This study highlights that utilizing daytime naps between training sessions on the same day improved afternoon peak power and lower perceptions of fatigue, soreness, and exertion during afternoon training in professional rugby union athletes.

year: 2023-05-08