ABSTRACT
For Maori in Aotearoa New Zealand, land is not only an economic foundation but an anchor for tribal identity and a spiritual base. The forced alienation of Maori land since the 1800s, due to colonisation, has distanced communities from a direct relationship with their lands. There is little published research on Maori community gardens (mara) and their potential to reconnect Maori with ancestral lands. This study explores the motivations for developing mara and examines the role of mara in Maori health promotion. The paper describes findings from kaupapa Maori research that involved interviews with seven leaders of mara initiatives. Our findings suggest that the development of mara is motivated by a desire to empower Maori collectives towards a vision of vital communities thriving as Maori. Mara provide a rich site for community development grounded in a cultural connection to ancestral land. The utilization of ancestral lands enables groups to draw on a deep sense of shared identity that is rooted in those lands and fosters an intergenerational orientation. Mara offer activity linked with ancestral knowledge, customary practices and tribal connection. They provide opportunities to practice Maori language and cultural processes in functional everyday ways, and thereby strengthen a sense of commitment to protect cultural heritage as a resource for community life. Importantly, hands-on collective activity with shared decision-making, which is characteristic of mara, fosters social cohesion and collective efficacy. Overall our findings indicate that mara are land-centred community development initiatives that fit within the parameters of Maori health promotion and have much potential to contribute to achievement of Maori health promotion outcomes.
