March 20, 2013
Māori resilience hit by quakes
A Lincoln University researcher believes Māori may have been hit harder by the Christchurch earthquakes than other groups.
Simon Lambert says the quakes struck at a time of severe economic pressure and the most significant response among Māori was probably to leave the city.
He says school enrolments and beneficiary numbers show many Māori left quickly, particularly young whānau and people employed in hospitality or service sectors.
That had an impact on many neighbourhoods in the eastern suburbs, which could be more vulnerable to future economic and social shocks.
Dr Lambert says while many people surveyed believed being Māori helped them cope with the disaster, for some that was because they were drawing on the same collective history of poverty and marginalisation that contributed to their vulnerability.
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