title: "Ko au te whenua, ko te whenua ko au:" A Māori housing development process

authors: Fletcher, Marcus Anzac Kewene

subjects: Māori

abstract: Tangata whenua (People of the land/Indigenous people of Aotearoa) are being recognised as emerging property and land developers in Aotearoa New Zealand (hereafter, Aotearoa). Literature and practice demonstrates how Māori are developing housing in different ways than traditional developers, supporting the wellbeing of whānau (families), hapū (sub-tribes) and iwi (tribes), while contributing to addressing the national housing crisis. The distinctiveness of these approaches are important to understand if we want to deepen our knowledge of urban development and the modelling of housing markets in Aotearoa. This thesis aims to reveal, codify and examine Māori decision-making processes relating to how and why we develop housing in Aotearoa and the values and principles that inform these approaches. Utilising Kaupapa Māori Theory and taking an insider/whānaunga (relatives) approach to the research, four whakawhiti kōrero sessions with Waikato whānau and kaimahi (workers) were undertaken to better understand how and why Māori develop housing and the processes and rationalities at play. The thesis has three contributions for academia, environmental planning and the housing sector in Aotearoa: insights into the values and rationalities that influence Māori urban development; the introduction of a Māori housing development framework; and insights into how the framework may be utilised to contribute towards more accurate and sophisticated agent-based modelling (ABM) or urban growth modelling.  

The findings and discussion identified six prominent values that Māori utilise to develop housing: kaitiakitanga, manaakitanga, orangatanga, whānaungatanga, ūkaipōtanga and rangatiratanga. Being rooted in Māori knowledge and epistemology essentially demands differing rationalities for when Māori undertake housing development, which are placed within an overarching framework. The framework represents a new tool to disrupt the current understanding of ‘developers’ as a single entity with a defined pathway that influences all development behaviour. Moreover, it demonstrates how whānau, hapū and iwi draw on the established learning and guidance of our tūpuna (ancestors) and the strides taken to reclaim tino rangatiratanga (self-determination). The thesis argues that academics, environmental practitioners and the housing sector should re-examine their understanding of developers in Aotearoa to become more pluralistic, which may present new challenges and opportunities for ABM and urban growth modelling. This framework argues some aspects may have potential to be incorporated into these technical analyses, while other aspects should be considered in the context of Māori and Indigenous Data Sovereignty to protect the contributions and mana of the participants within this thesis, or resist the ability to be captured altogether.

text: "Ko au te whenua, ko te whenua ko au:" A Māori housing development process Tangata whenua (People of the land/Indigenous people of Aotearoa) are being recognised as emerging property and land developers in Aotearoa New Zealand (hereafter, Aotearoa). Literature and practice demonstrates how Māori are developing housing in different ways than traditional developers, supporting the wellbeing of whānau (families), hapū (sub-tribes) and iwi (tribes), while contributing to addressing the national housing crisis. The distinctiveness of these approaches are important to understand if we want to deepen our knowledge of urban development and the modelling of housing markets in Aotearoa. This thesis aims to reveal, codify and examine Māori decision-making processes relating to how and why we develop housing in Aotearoa and the values and principles that inform these approaches. Utilising Kaupapa Māori Theory and taking an insider/whānaunga (relatives) approach to the research, four whakawhiti kōrero sessions with Waikato whānau and kaimahi (workers) were undertaken to better understand how and why Māori develop housing and the processes and rationalities at play. The thesis has three contributions for academia, environmental planning and the housing sector in Aotearoa: insights into the values and rationalities that influence Māori urban development; the introduction of a Māori housing development framework; and insights into how the framework may be utilised to contribute towards more accurate and sophisticated agent-based modelling (ABM) or urban growth modelling.  

The findings and discussion identified six prominent values that Māori utilise to develop housing: kaitiakitanga, manaakitanga, orangatanga, whānaungatanga, ūkaipōtanga and rangatiratanga. Being rooted in Māori knowledge and epistemology essentially demands differing rationalities for when Māori undertake housing development, which are placed within an overarching framework. The framework represents a new tool to disrupt the current understanding of ‘developers’ as a single entity with a defined pathway that influences all development behaviour. Moreover, it demonstrates how whānau, hapū and iwi draw on the established learning and guidance of our tūpuna (ancestors) and the strides taken to reclaim tino rangatiratanga (self-determination). The thesis argues that academics, environmental practitioners and the housing sector should re-examine their understanding of developers in Aotearoa to become more pluralistic, which may present new challenges and opportunities for ABM and urban growth modelling. This framework argues some aspects may have potential to be incorporated into these technical analyses, while other aspects should be considered in the context of Māori and Indigenous Data Sovereignty to protect the contributions and mana of the participants within this thesis, or resist the ability to be captured altogether.

year: 2025

title: Polynesian settlement of New Zealand and the impacts of volcanism on early Maori society: An update

authors: Lowe, David J.

subjects: Polynesian settlement

abstract: Presents an overview of the timing of Polynesian settlement in New Zealand, discussing the application of tephrochronology and rat and avian bone dating to the problem. The impacts of volcanism on early Maori society are examined, including the catastrophic impacts of the Tarawera eruption of 1886.

text: Polynesian settlement of New Zealand and the impacts of volcanism on early Maori society: An update Presents an overview of the timing of Polynesian settlement in New Zealand, discussing the application of tephrochronology and rat and avian bone dating to the problem. The impacts of volcanism on early Maori society are examined, including the catastrophic impacts of the Tarawera eruption of 1886.

year: 2008

title: The relaxed livestock farmer: The effect of coping strategies and leisure activities on farmer wellbeing and stress

authors: Schriber-Hannah, Cathleen

subjects: Farmers

abstract: Farmers experience higher levels of stress and low wellbeing compared to non-farmers. This can be attributed to experiencing general stressors, such as interpersonal disagreements, and farm-specific stressors, such as severe weather events. Previous research has found coping strategies reduce stress and improve wellbeing. However, it is not known how coping strategies and leisure activities affect the wellbeing and stress of farmers in Aotearoa New Zealand. The research questions explored what leisure activities farmers use to unwind, how leisure activities and coping strategies affected wellbeing, and whether coping strategies moderated the relationship between stressors, wellbeing, and stress. 131 participants completed a questionnaire measuring wellbeing, stress, coping, leisure, and farm stressors. A content analysis grouped leisure activities and barriers into meaningful groups. A paired samples t-test found farmers significantly prefer to engage in more leisure activities than they engaged in currently. A hierarchical regression found the coping strategies, behavioural disengagement (b = 2.18, t = -3.48, p < .01) and self-blame (b = -0.81, t = -2.01, p = .05), significantly and negatively predicted wellbeing. Finally, a moderation analysis found Social Coping moderated the relationships between farming finance and wellbeing (ΔR² = .06, F(3, 112) = 8.39, p < .01), isolation and wellbeing (ΔR² = .03, F(3, 112) = 4.12, p = .05), and social satisfaction and wellbeing (ΔR² = .05, F(3, 117) = 8.20, p < .01). Dysfunctional Coping moderated the relationship between time pressure and wellbeing (ΔR² = .05, F(3, 103) = 8.52, p < .01) and time pressure and stress (ΔR² = .05, F(3, 105) = 10.47, p < .01). In conclusion, improving coping strategies, particularly social coping, may increase wellbeing among farmers.

text: The relaxed livestock farmer: The effect of coping strategies and leisure activities on farmer wellbeing and stress Farmers experience higher levels of stress and low wellbeing compared to non-farmers. This can be attributed to experiencing general stressors, such as interpersonal disagreements, and farm-specific stressors, such as severe weather events. Previous research has found coping strategies reduce stress and improve wellbeing. However, it is not known how coping strategies and leisure activities affect the wellbeing and stress of farmers in Aotearoa New Zealand. The research questions explored what leisure activities farmers use to unwind, how leisure activities and coping strategies affected wellbeing, and whether coping strategies moderated the relationship between stressors, wellbeing, and stress. 131 participants completed a questionnaire measuring wellbeing, stress, coping, leisure, and farm stressors. A content analysis grouped leisure activities and barriers into meaningful groups. A paired samples t-test found farmers significantly prefer to engage in more leisure activities than they engaged in currently. A hierarchical regression found the coping strategies, behavioural disengagement (b = 2.18, t = -3.48, p < .01) and self-blame (b = -0.81, t = -2.01, p = .05), significantly and negatively predicted wellbeing. Finally, a moderation analysis found Social Coping moderated the relationships between farming finance and wellbeing (ΔR² = .06, F(3, 112) = 8.39, p < .01), isolation and wellbeing (ΔR² = .03, F(3, 112) = 4.12, p = .05), and social satisfaction and wellbeing (ΔR² = .05, F(3, 117) = 8.20, p < .01). Dysfunctional Coping moderated the relationship between time pressure and wellbeing (ΔR² = .05, F(3, 103) = 8.52, p < .01) and time pressure and stress (ΔR² = .05, F(3, 105) = 10.47, p < .01). In conclusion, improving coping strategies, particularly social coping, may increase wellbeing among farmers.

year: 2023