Mauriora and the environment: a Kaupapa Maori exploration of adventure therapy in Aotearoa, New Zealand

We are He Hiringa, an early career research group of new Maori academics in the Division of Sciences at the University of Otago. Drawing on an auto-ethnographic approach, this paper shares the kaupapa (purpose, collective vision) of He Hiringa, that of mauriora (flourishing wellness) and how our shared vision for flourishing wellness across the broad disciplines of Maori physical education and health, social and clinical psychology, and Maori urban design and surveying, may support adventure therapy in Aotearoa, New Zealand. While anecdotally, we know the importance of the environment for health and wellbeing, adventure therapy in this country is largely dominated by Eurocentric views and fails to account for Maori ways of thinking, being and engaging with the taiao (environment) for therapeutic benefit and healing. We argue that grounding adventure therapy in a Te Ao Maori worldview which favours a cultural, communal, ecological, and spiritual perspective will better meet the hauora (health) needs of Maori and should drive the philosophy and practice of adventure therapy here in Aotearoa, New Zealand.