A book review by Te Kupua O’Connor of Mātauranga Māori, written by Hirini Moko Mead (2025).

Māori economies have unique foundations, which differ fundamentally from Eurocentric economies, making it difficult to identify appropriate epistemological and methodological approaches to understanding them. Critical Māori economies scholars emphasise the importance of whakapapa-based approaches to understanding Māori economies. In this article, whakapapa is conceptualised as a way of both knowing (epistemology) and coming to know (methodology) Māori economies. It introduces a whakapapa-based episto-methodological framework based on four key tenets—dimensionality, relationality, obligations, and multi-temporality—to understand Māori economies from a te ao Māori perspective.

Whakataukī are metaphors that provide us with ethical guidelines, and tikanga and kawa are the wisdom, knowledge and history handed down from the past to future generations to help people navigate their lives and support aspirations for today and the future. Using a twin-hulled waka ama as a metaphor for the relationship between participants and researchers in Indigenous research, this article explores Māori and Indigenous ethics as having equal status to Western research ethics. In relation to research, ethics can be a complicated domain when working alongside Māori and Indigenous peoples.

This article examines the differing financial challenges faced by Sāmoan women across four countries during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a focus on the impact of national response strategies. Utilising survey data from 325 participants, the study reveals that 48% of respondents experienced negative financial effects, with younger women disproportionately affected. Textual analysis highlighted increased household costs, employment disruptions, business losses, and diminished remittances, compounded by limited government support in several contexts.

This research investigated how mātauranga Māori through a pūrākau could be used to increase a tauiwi teacher’s confidence and practice within a tuakana–teina learning relationship. Mātauranga Māori relates to the interwoven connections between humans and the world that inform tikanga. Relationship with the local hapū and their tikanga of partnership and whakamana provided a framework of whanaungatanga, through which ako occurred between the hapū and the tuakana–teina.

The story of Te Whakatōhea is indistinguishable from its relationship with kai. Starting with the iwi’s migration narratives from Hawaiki to Aotearoa New Zealand, through an economic flourishing that followed initial contact with European settlers, then as a matter of survival following raupatu, kai has been an integral component of Te Whakatōhea culture and tikanga. Today this relationship with kai is manifest in the industry-leading aquaculture enterprises of the iwi; however, there are also serious challenges present in terms of its people’s nutritional wellbeing, with access to fresh kai in the Ōpōtiki rohe limited for a high portion of the population.

Research on the health outcomes of Pasifika people in New Zealand has begun to focus on the church’s role as well as that of the Pasifika worldview. This study explores the relationship between the church, Pasifika families and the health system through the concept of vā. Five Pasifika participants, four parishioners and their church minister were interviewed online to facilitate dialogue and gather their voices. Four themes emerged from the interviews and the data analysis: (1) the role of family and close relationships, (2) interactions with healthcare, (3 the role of the church and (4) overarching systemic discussions.

This commentary examines the widespread issue of mis- and missed diagnosis of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), with a particular focus on the disproportionate impact on Māori individuals and their whānau. Grounded in a Kaupapa Māori approach, this research integrates mātauranga Māori and lived experience to critically analyse the systemic barriers that prevent accurate identification and timely support for neurodivergent individuals.

This commentary explores how systemic inequities and homelessness, particularly among Māori in New Zealand, can be addressed through a public health approach that integrates Indigenous models of health. It emphasises the importance of considering broader social determinants of health, such as housing, income, education, and access to healthcare, in the design and delivery of public health interventions. Utilising the Te Whare Tapa Whā framework, a Māori model of health, this commentary illustrates how culturally responsive and holistic approaches can enhance the effectiveness of public health programmes.

Cats occupy a complicated space in Aotearoa New Zealand. Domestic cats are valued companion animals. In contrast, feral cats are recognised as one of the most damaging invasive species nationally and internationally. Given this duality, it is important to understand how all New Zealanders perceive and value both feral and companion cats. This literature review explores contemporary Māori attitudes and values towards cats, as documented in academic and grey literature, as well as iwi and hapū management plans.