This general issue of MAI Journal, Volume 4, Issue 1 (2015) consists of six articles and two book reviews, covering a range of themes including Māori identity formation, Māori fire use and management practices, Māori food security and sovereignty, indigenous peoples’ experiences of entering tertiary education, as well as indigenous research methodologies.
The lead article by Arama Rata titled “The Māori identity migration model: Identity threats and opportunities for Māori youth” discusses original research conducted with Māori high school students in order to explore factors that motivate migration between particular identity positions. It presents the Māori identity migration model as a way of conceptualising the dynamic and diverse nature of urban Māori youth identities, and to allow for an analysis of the resources and threats available to urban Māori youth who occupy different identity spaces.
The contribution by Grace Aroha Stone and E.R. (Lisa) Langer titled “Te ahi i te ao Māori: Māori use of fire: Traditional use of fire to inform current and future fire management in New Zealand” draws on historical research and presents kōrero with three kaumātua in order to explore the relationship between Māori and fire. By presenting a Māori perspective on fire use and conservation practices, the paper aims to assist rural fire authorities in managing and mitigating the risk of wildfire.
The article by Taima Moeke-Pickering, Mate Heitia, Sonny Heitia, Rolinda Karapu and Sheila Cote-Meek titled “Understanding Māori food security and food sovereignty issues in Whakatāne” discusses the findings of a pilot project on food security, food sovereignty, nutrition and health conducted with a small Māori group based in Whakatāne. The article, concerned with healthy lifestyles and Māori access to affordable and nutritional food, discusses a community-based response and points to the necessity of a multifaceted, comprehensive national plan to address Māori food insecurity.
The article “Ngā Ara Manukura: An international comparison of indigenous peoples’ experiences of entering tertiary education” by Ani Cumming-Ruwhiu examines literature on the motivation and effective entry of indigenous students into mainstream tertiary education. The paper compares and contrasts findings from Māori in Aotearoa New Zealand, Aboriginal peoples from Australia and Native Americans of the United States of America.
The article “Rourou Māori methodological approach to research” by Glenis Mark, Kerry Chamberlain and Amohia Boulton presents the findings from narrative interviews conducted with Māori healers about their understandings of the underlying values of rongoā Māori. The paper considers the implications for the inclusion of Māori and indigenous cultural values in indigenous research methodologies, and considers the implications of their alignment and integration with accepted Western research methodologies.
The final article “Navigating the currents of kaupapa Māori and Pan-Pacific research methodologies in Aotearoa New Zealand” by Sereana Naepi examines the use of kaupapa Māori and Pan-Pacific research methodologies within Aotearoa New Zealand and considers the tensions in navigating both of these methodologies simultaneously. The paper suggests that the “Give Way Rule” can be used in order to address some of these tensions and to ensure that research is carried out in a way that is respectful and culturally sensitive.
This issue also contains two book reviews. The first is a review of Vincent O’Malley’s “The meeting place: Māori and Pākehā encounters, 1642-1840” byTina Makereti. The second book review is of a collection edited by Merata Kawharu titled “Maranga mai! Te reo and marae in crisis?” by Peter Keegan.