December 12, 2018
Historic trauma linked to prison numbers
Māori public health body Hāpai Te Hauora is praising a report into family violence for acknowledging historic trauma.
The discussion paper by the Office of the Chief Science Advisor looks at factors leading to New Zealand’s high incarceration rates, and discusses what can be done to reverse the trauma of colonisation and disadvantage.
Hāpai national cultural advisor Rangi McLean says the report does not sugar-coat the intergenerational impacts of colonisation on Māori.
He says what is being seen in communities in terms of domestic violence and child abuse is a cultural aberration, and there is a need to revitalise pre-colonial social norms such as respectful whānau relationships, collective obligations and honouring mothers and children.
The report suggests a range of solutions including resourcing iwi, community and Māori led NGOs to deliver appropriate and effective services, grounding programmes including their evaluation in a Māori worldview, supported by relevant science, and investing in interventions with a big focus on early childhood.
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