The primary aim of this paper is to deconstruct one of the dominant discourses surrounding Maori men—a discourse that was constructed to limit, homogenize, and reproduce an acceptable and imagined Maori masculinity, and one that has also gained hegemonic consent from many tane. I use a genealogical approach to outline the historical underpinnings of the image of the Maori man as naturally physical, and the mechanisms, including the confiscation of land and a racist state education system, that served to propound and perpetuate this construction. The contemporary portrayal of the natural Maori sportsman has evolved from these historical roots in what has become a largely subconscious but no less insidious pattern of subjugation through positively framed sporting images.

The Prospective Outcomes of Injury Study aims to identify predictors of disability following injury. Participants were selected from the entitlement claims register of New Zealand's no-fault compensation insurer, the Accident Compensation Corporation, and followed up by interview for 2 years. This report describes changes to intended Prospective Outcomes of Injury Study methods and key characteristics of the cohort, with an emphasis on general health and disability before injury and soon afterwards. There were 2856 injured participants in the first interview, which occurred 3.2 months (median) after injury. The recruitment period was extended to enable inclusion of sufficient Māori participants. At the first interview, most participants were experiencing worse health status and increased disability compared to before injury, despite less than one-third reporting admission to hospital because of their injury. Analysis of outcome predictors related to post-injury function, disability and return-to-work soon after injury and 1 year later is now under way.

Separate regression models will be developed for each of the outcomes. Repeated measures outcomes will be modelled using general estimating equation models and generalised linear mixed models.

Māori in Aotearoa have higher incidence, prevalence and mortality from chronic disease. The dominant narrative in Aotearoa about the reasons for Māori ill health neglects to acknowledge the history of colonisation and failures of the health system, alongside the holistic view of health taken by Māori focusing on collective, whānau-based outcomes. In this article, we review health interventions for chronic disease that have a kaupapa Māori philosophical basis. Our findings demonstrate that there is no clear process in health service design, delivery, research and funding that values and understands mātauranga Māori. Western knowledge systems are inadequate for collecting and presenting Māori knowledge. Overall, we highlight that the tension between acknowledging that a “by Māori, for Māori” approach is best, and the difficulty in defining appropriate evidence collection methodology and outcome measures when funders and policy makers continue to require Western-centric interventions is an obstacle to improving Māori health outcomes.

Responses to the Treaty included: consultation with Maori groups, translation of the questionnaire into te reo Maori, appointment of interviewers fluent in te reo Maori, sufficient numbers of Maori participants to allow Maori-specific analyses and the inclusion of a Maori-specific qualitative component. While this article is located within the New Zealand context, we believe it will resonate with, and be of relevance to, health researchers in other former settler societies. We do not contend this project represents an 'ideal' model for undertaking population-based research. Instead, we hope that by describing our efforts at responding to the Treaty, we can prompt wider debate of the complex realities of the research environment, one which is scientifically, ethically and culturally located.