Securing cultural identity for whanau well-being: a qualitative study of a whanau-led initiative

Colonial processes have severely disrupted Maori social organisation and attachment to place through land alienation and different experiences of urban migration. As a result, many whanau (extended family) have lost connection to their whenua (land) and ancestral marae (communal and sacred meeting ground) causing intergenerational loss of knowledge and values that secure cultural identity and belonging. Finding accessible pathways to restore fragmented knowledge and reconnect whanau to te ao Maori (Maori world) is an essential part of securing cultural identity to facilitate well-being. This qualitative study explores the social, cultural, and health benefits experienced by whanau involved in a whanau-led initiative at their ancestral marae. This research asserts that securing connections to culture and whenua enhances individual and collective identities improving overall whanau health and well-being. Sharing such narratives provides a platform for whanau experiences to be heard illuminating a pathway to potentially inspire other whanau.