Abstract:
Alcohol and other drug (AOD) use, abuse and addiction are destructive to Māori
and are an urgent problem; wairuatanga, cultural identity and tino rangatiratanga
(self determination) are key to successful recovery ffom AODs for Maori.
Kaupapa Māori AOD services have better success rates because they provide
what is essential for Māori such as tikanga, core beliefs, values and practices of
Maori re health, illness, wairua, tapu, noa and life. There are strategies for
addressing the problem of AOD addiction for Māori such as positive stories of
recovery.
This thesis explores the shared experiential journeys of four Pūkōrero
(participants) who successfully completed detoxification and recovery
programmes from AOD addiction. Three questions were used to guide the
research process to enable the Pūkōrero to identify positive aspects of their
individual detoxification and recovery programmes, surface any barriers and
issues they experienced, and clarify the support they received throughout the
process. Kaupapa Maori and Narrative Inquiry was adapted to undertake this
study to capture the essence of Maori thinking and reality regarding AOD.
Through the use of thematic analysis the data findings of the study reflect the
views from each Pūkōrero of Wairua, Whakapapa and Whānau as key to their
successful recovery. This supports the notion that a pathway of detoxification,
recovery and hope exists to enable Maori and others to take the journey to
reclaim their own health and well-being, and the health and well-being of
Whānau, Hapū, Iwi, and Māori community.
In honour of these Pūkōrero, Kāumatua, Tipuna, Whānau, Hapū, Iwi, Māori
katoa, and to celebrate Kaupapa Maori and Narrative Inquiry [as the preferred
methodological approach], the use of our tino ataahua reo integrated with English
throughout the thesis demonstrates the interwoven connections between the two
cultures enshrined in Te Tiriti o Waitangi that comprise the nation of Aotearoa
me Te Waipounamu of New Zealand.
