The burden of disease is disproportionately high for Mäori men in Aotearoa. The Hauora Tane project aims to “describe the health of Mäori men in Aotearoa, and examine influences on their health from their own perspective.” As part of the project, in-depth interviews were conducted with 66 Mäori men from throughout Aotearoa. One of the major themes for the men was “endorsement of kaupapa Mäori institutions, policies and programmes, and rejection of mainstream approaches.” The men described universally favourable experiences of social institutions based on Mäori philosophies and values, whereas social policy based on Mäori assimilation was seen as dama- ging to health and wellbeing. Based on this evidence, the authors suggest that a more appropriate approach to social policy would be based on indigenous rights and Mäori self determination.
