This article describes a project that has been designed to integrate an Indigenous community of kaumātua with community health researchers and academic researchers working with 2 advisory boards in New Zealand, highlighting the potential of kaumātua (elders) by asserting mana motuhake (autonomy, identity and self-actualisation). Grounded in Kaupapa Māori principles and community-based participatory research, the project emphasises a strengths-based approach. It will follow a ‘tuakana-teina’ (older sibling/younger sibling) peer-educator model, enabling kaumātua to work with other kaumātua in relation to health and wellbeing. Thus, this project will seek to develop the capacity of kaumātua as peer educators and positively impact upon their sense of purpose, health and wellbeing, as well as endeavour to enhance social and health outcomes for kaumātua receiving the intervention. Findings over time are expected to provide an evidence base for the valuing of kaumātua knowledge that can be used to create contextually-based, culturally safe, age-friendly environments that facilitate engagement and participation by kaumātua for kaumātua.
