He Ariariatanga Whakangawari No Te Maori i Tua o Te Arai : He Rangimarietanga i Tua o Te Arai = A Theory of Maori Palliation : a Peaceful Journey through the Veil

Abstract

Ko te Atua, Ko te Whenua, Ko te Whenua, Ko te Atua: From Atua we come and to Atua we return. Atua (Io) is the supreme power in which Maori believe. The opening Ngapuhi belief cloaks this thesis’s investigation of the palliative care, seeking to answer “What is palliative care for Maori at end of life?” Ngapuhi are placed on the continuum of palliative care research. The opening story of a loved whanau member’s journey through the veil provides a Ngapuhi view into Maori being, existence and reality. The principal methodological approaches of the thesis are Kaupapa Maori Autoethnography and Grounded Theory. The thesis synthesizes these elements with native science. Findings provide a theory of Maori palliation that does not end on physical death. Wairua emerges from the data as the essence in theorising how Maori conceive of their journey “through the veil” as a transformation of the wairua from the earth as tangata whenua through Te Wheaio, the veil, back to Atua as tangata atua. Evident is:  That Maori believe there is a relationship between Atua, whenua and tangata through wairua;  That the tinana, body, goes back to the earth and the wairua, Being, back to Atua, “Wairua ki Te Atua, tinana ki te oneone;”  That wairua is the invisible prime component of a successful and peaceful (palliative) journey;  That Wairua’s peaceful transition requires tikanga control for transformation;  That palliative journeying is an interdependent relationship between whanau and Maori being and Maori Being;  That the palliative journeying success of Maori being depends on the whanau cultural knowledge; and  Maori transform from Maori being, tangata whenua, to Maori Being, tangata atua. The initial emergent palliative care pathway is a substantive theory named “Kaupapa Maori Palliative Care: A Journey Through the Veil.” A general application is “Maori Journeying: Getting to where you want to go: An Inter-Dependent Journey”. A global application is “Universal Journeying” where the theory fits any journey where a goal or destination is to be reached. All levels of journeying fit with ancient Maori beliefs and ancient theories. The wairua of the thesis is that tradition is still practised today and when decoded and appreciated, can contribute significantly to knowledge and applied practice locally and internationally in palliative care and native science.