Waiora: Connecting People, Well-Being, and Environment Through Waka Ama in Aotearoa New Zealand

Abstract

Waka ama is unique as a sport because, as well as the physical benefits for paddlers, it also creates opportunities for participants to experience and connect with the natural environment. This research draws on interviews with waka ama paddlers in Aotearoa New Zealand to illustrate how the well-being of the environment connects to the spiritual, cultural, and physical health of people. Results highlight the multifaceted benefits of participating in waka ama. As well as the physical benefits for paddlers, waka ama also has a strong tikanga, which encourages language revitalization with the use of te reo Māori through karakia, waiata, and the general terms used associated with waka. It also creates opportunities for participants to experience and connect with the natural environment and improve their health. The knowledge gained from participants provide evidence of effective ways to improve health and well-being within communities with a particular focus on waiora, the spiritual connection between hauora and the environment.

The Value of Recreational Physical Activity in Aotearoa New Zealand: A Scoping Review of Evidence and Implications for Social Value Measurement

“…Papers focused on Māori communities typically emphasise it is not simply that participation in sport and recreation helps to develop positive feelings of wellbeing, but the whole experience of sport and physical activity is built around Māori culture, cultural identity, spirituality, and the social connections within the Māori community, all of which foster a more holistic sense of health and wellbeing [ 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 ]. Consequently, there are many links between the findings in this section and those in the later section on the outcome area of social and community development.…”

“…Indeed, a key theme in the literature is the importance of the ability of Māori to participate ‘as Māori’. Participating ‘as Māori’ requires a recognition of Māori understandings of holistic wellbeing (hauora), This is discussed, for example, by Severinsen and Reweti [ 41 ] in the context of the sport of waka ama. This paper is based on research with sixteen participants in waka ama, both male and female, who were interviewed through a series of loosely structured conversations, both one-to-one and focus group discussions.…”

Reconceptualizing Women's Wellbeing During the Pandemic: Sport, Fitness and More-Than-Human Connection

“…Media reports and emerging literature has revealed the importance of access to natural environments (i.e., parks, forest, waterways) for human coping during COVID-19 and beyond ( Buckley et al, 2019 ), with some documenting a rise in those taking up nature-related activities (i.e., bird watching, bush or beach walking, gardening) ( Chaudhury & Banerjee, 2020 ; Corley et al, 2021 ; O’Brien & Forster, 2021 ; Tomasso et al, 2021 ). Yet access is far from equitable, with age, race, class, disability, and location (i.e., housing density, poor urban communities) impacting opportunities to safely participate in and connect with the natural environment.…”

Climate Justice Is Environmental Justice: System Change for Promoting Planetary Health and a Just Transition From Extractive to Regenerative Action

“…For health promotion in our social systems, our first suggested action builds on our field’s established interests in promoting access to parks and other green spaces for marginalized communities (Arredondo et al, 2013; Prochnow et al, 2022) and encourages practitioners to more explicitly explore health as the connection of people with Nature (Severinsen & Reweti, 2021; Shopinski et al, 2023). In environmental systems we recommend continuing to advance health promotion in promoting foodways that improve nutrition and quality of life for communities through culturally resonant regenerative agriculture (Lombard et al, 2014; Martinez et al, 2022).…”