Whakaahua Taiao, Whakaahua Whānau: Rangatahi relationalities with the(ir) environment

Abstract

The intrinsic connection between Land and people has been long understood by Māori. Whanaungatanga (the social bond that connects us) conceivably manifests as a relational bond between people and te taiao (the environment). In this thesis, I elucidate whanaungatanga between rangatahi (Māori youth) and te taiao as a part of a broader research project: Harnessing the Spark of Life: Maximising the Contributors of Whanaungatanga to Rangatahi Well-being. I explore how rangatahi engage whanaungatanga in their everyday experiences through a photo-elicitation approach with 51 rangatahi aged 12-21 in three geographical areas: Te Tai Tokerau (Northland), Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland) and Waikato. Rangatahi were asked to take photos of how they understand whanaungatanga and how it informs their well-being. I joined the project after data collection and abductively cleaved a nuanced approach from the plethora of existing data. Whilst ensconcing myself in the stories, I noticed that when rangatahi were asked to take photos of what whanaungatanga means to them and how it supports their well-being, one-third of the rangatahi took whakaahua taiao (photos of environments). I explore how rangatahi Māori conceive their relationships to Land and Place to create their identity as Māori, supporting their hauora through expressions of tūrangawaewae (a Place that one has ancestral links to) and kāinga waewae (a Place that one does not have ancestral links to but feels a sense of belonging). Drawing upon Kaupapa Māori (A Māori way) methodology and utilising the notion of the Indigenous researcher as bricoleur, I weave the rangatahi photos and narratives together to create pūrākau (stories). These pūrākau draw upon 12 rangatahi experiences of whanaungatanga and delve into the ways that rangatahi connections to te taiao are informed by wairua, whakapapa, and mana. These analyses provide conceptual context from mātauranga, drawn from the rich textured insights from rangatahi lived experience, to inform a deeper understanding of how relationships with our tūrangawaewae, kāinga waewae, and taiao imbue hauora (Health, vitality and well-being) in rangatahi Māori identities.