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August 11, 2023
Kava and custom in step for stress relief
Atereano Mateariki
Posted On August 11, 2023
Download AudioAs drinking kava becomes more popular among non-Polynesians, Pasika researchers and users are trying to get a deeper understanding of the brew and protect its cultural integrity.
Four Shells Kava Lounge co-owner, Anau Mesui, is collecting data for a study by University of Waikato researchers Dr Apo Aporosa and Dr Sione Vaka on kava as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder, says generations of Pasifika peoples have been consuming kava socially and customarily.
The customs around it may be as important as the chemical components in it.
With more non Pasifika getting into the practice, education around those customs is vital.
“Why should we change? Why should we change our culture? Why should we change our kava to make it taste good for other people? It’s always been good for us. So if if it’s good for us and it’s always been good the way it is, then others can drink it as it is. We don’t need to change to fit some other person’s cultural taste,” Ms Mesui says.
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