An Indigenous self-determination social movement response to COVID-19

Abstract

For Māori in New Zealand, COVID-19 is remarkable in two particular ways. First, we bet the odds for the first time in contemporary history. Forecasts predicted that Māori would have double the infection and mortality rates of non-Māori. However, as at June 2020, Māori have a disproportionately lower infection rate than non-Māori. This is perhaps the only example in our contemporary history of the Māori community having better social outcomes than non-Māori. Second is that attribution is due, perhaps not exclusively, but materially to a self-determination social movement within our Indigenous communities that the pandemic response unveiled and accelerated. This article comments on this self-determination social movement, with a particular focus on how that movement has manifested within the South Island of New Zealand. We specifically draw on the work of Te Pūtahitanga o Te Waipounamu, the South Island Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency to illustrate our analysis.

Global Mapping of Indigenous Resilience Facing the Challenge of the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…New Zealand's case is different since the beginning of the pandemic in the country only 2227 cases have been confirmed nationally, political prevention measures have been critical to mitigating the presence of COVID-19 in the country [150,151]. Indigenous populations, such as the Māori of New Zealand, used their informal institutions, an example is restoration of its food system in an urban context [152], complementing with the official measures issued by the government for facing the COVID-19 pandemic. Other indigenous people like those of Papua New Guinea were helped by the geopolitical position of their country.…”

Expansion of a national Covid-19 alert level system to improve population health and uphold the values of Indigenous peoples

“…In many regards the current system is rules-focused rather than building on the known effectiveness of a strengths-based, mana-enhancing (self-empowering) approach. M āori knowledge and capability can ensure that the system is more responsive to populations at risk [5] and more effective at protecting community wellbeing in a public health emergency. • Better calibrating controls to the level of risk: A more finegrained set of response options is required to retain a safe level of outbreak control when lifting stay-at-home requirements, and to ensure that when there is an outbreak in one region, control measures in the rest of the country appropriately reflect 1 Summary of the proposed revised Alert Levels for future management of the Covid-19 pandemic and other infectious disease outbreaks.…”

“…In many regards the current system is rules-focused rather than building on the known effectiveness of a strengths-based, mana-enhancing (self-empowering) approach. Māori knowledge and capability can ensure that the system is more responsive to populations at risk [5] and more effective at protecting community wellbeing in a public health emergency.…”

Steadfast is the rock: Primary health care Māori nurse leaders discuss tensions, resistance, and their contributions to prioritise communities and whānau during COVID-19

“…Reflections and research have identified that many effective and culturally appropriate strategies were locally driven by iwi, hapū, and Māori hauora (health and wellbeing) leaders in a way never seen before (Dawes et al, 2021;McMeeking et al, 2020). A Kaupapa Māori study with 23 kaumātua (Māori elders) on their experiences of COVID-19, found that despite kaumātua feeling excluded from Government decisions, iwi and whānau-initiated responses promoted some sense of rangatiratanga (selfdetermination): "Māori doing it for themselves" (Dawes et al, 2021, p. 532).…”