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

Abstract

ABSTRACT We are He Hiringa, an early career research group of new Māori 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 Māori physical education and health, social and clinical psychology, and Māori 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 Māori 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 Māori worldview which favours a cultural, communal, ecological, and spiritual perspective will better meet the hauora (health) needs of Māori and should drive the philosophy and practice of adventure therapy here in Aotearoa, New Zealand.