Te Paa Harakeke is a metaphor for protection of Māori culture, pūrākau, whenua and whānau wellbeing. It is a framework for protecting children and an allegory for working alongside whānau to achieve oranga-ā-whānau, and it nestles in a Kaupapa Māori and mātauranga Māori space. Watson (2017, 2020) applied Te Paa Harakeke as a model for research through unpacking 10 components to the research setting; these are rito, awhi rito, tūpuna, pakiaka, kōhatu, pakawhā, kakau, kōrari, ngā manu and whenua.