Two out of three wāhine Māori are impacted by partner violence. Photo / 123RF
Two out of three wāhine Māori are impacted by partner violence. Photo / 123RF
A deep-dive stocktake into the contemporary landscape of Māori literature on Māori living with violence and sexual violation has been released.
The substantial, 208-page “Litany of Sound Revisited” literature review is believed to be the first annal of its kind - chronicling case studies, academic archives through to public reports on Māori in Aotearoa.
Commissioned by independent ministerial advisory group Te Pūkotahitanga, the book is a repository of indigenous views which looks to the past to open up all sorts of possibilities for the future.
Author Professor Denise Wilson hopes it will inspire a roadmap to informing systemic change from the current reality.
It reviews what services are provided at the grass roots to how the overall government response system operates, and where healing and prevention solutions can be found within te ao Māori frameworks.
“We’ve looked at what works, why it works, how we got here, what the state of play is now and where to from here,” Wilson (Tainui, Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Whakatōhea, Ngāti Oneone) says.
Professor Denise Wilson.
Two out of three wāhine Māori are impacted by partner violence. So the solutions “must be a collective effort led by Māori”, Wilson writes.
Despite the grim topic due to the disproportionate data compared to other population groups, Wilson believes the book is about hope and aspirations for what Māori can achieve over time.
She read thousands of pages over a year to identify solutions, analyse gaps in information and show opportunities for the future that reframe, reclaim and restore in order to achieve safer homes and communities.
“It starts with pre-colonisation because I really wanted to begin from the point that violence didn’t occur back then – we had systems, processes and tikanga in place that our tūpuna lived by that kept everybody safe.”
“The material doesn’t have to be read from cover to cover either, as it is supposed to be user-friendly – a ‘pick up and put down’ pukapuka.”
Wilson hopes it becomes a valued resource for time-poor readers, who can choose topics of particular interest if they prefer to just speed read small chunks at a time.
Manukorihi Winiata (Ngāti Raukawa, Te Ātiawa, Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Tūwharetoa) designed the distinctive artwork of the publication that imbues the protection and care of the korowai, the traditional Māori cloak.
The symbolism of the korowai is particularly meaningful to Professor Wilson and her work because it represents what we can learn from the past to inform today, and plan for the future.
‘Litany of Sound Revisited'.
“I hope that this work will underpin and help inform people planning kaupapa Māori services and support funding proposals to meet the needs of our communities.”
The publication was funded by Te Puna Aonui to further strengthen strategic priorities of Te Pūkotahitanga as part of the work programme for Te Aorerekura, the National Strategy to Eliminate Family Violence and Sexual Violence.
