Excerpt from Report
2.1 Defining
2.1.1 Whānau has been variously defined but generally refers to Maori
who share
common descent and kinship, as well as collective interests that
generate
reciprocal ties and aspirations.
2.1.2 Whānau are built around familial ties that extend over three, and
usually
more, generations. The links between whānau members do not depend
on specific tasks but on ongoing relationships based around shared
lines of descent and conjugal associations. They are built around
cultural
values such as generosity, hospitality, sharing and mutual respect.
Intergenerational connections are reflected in similar genetic patterns,
similar heritage, similar names and similar obligations. They generate
bonds
that cannot be dissolved even when alienation occurs. Whānau have long
histories that are measured in generations rather than years.
2.1.3 In earlier years, members of whānau lived in close proximity to
each other
and were able to share in the collective activities with relative ease.
Caring
for children, gathering food, building houses and farming whānau land
were examples of shared functions that whānau were able to undertake
for a common good. The need for government intervention was relatively
infrequent. However, with changing social and economic policies, those
characteristics have been eroded and the closeness that previously
existed is
no longer evident, at least to the extent that it was. Several factors
have led to
a substantially modified whānau environment: the depression in the
1930s,
the 1939-1945 World War, and since the mid-1940s progressive
urbanisation,
now coupled with globalisation, have created distance between wha¯nau
members so that whānau households may exist in different parts of
the country or even across different countries. Though whānau are still
connected, opportunities for close interaction have been attenuated. At
the
same time, new communication technologies have created fresh links that
hold promise for whānau connectedness. Younger whānau members, for
example, increasingly use social networking tools such as Facebook and
YouTube to maintain links with cousins, uncles, aunts and siblings.
2.1.4 Sometimes the concept of whānau has been applied to people who
work
collaboratively in order to meet specific purposes. Parents and children
who attend the same Kohanga Reo, for example, or who are part of the
same sports team or cultural group, often describe themselves as
whanau.
Successful whānau functioning depends on a level of cooperation and
interdependence coupled with a commitment to shared objectives and a
shared cultural perspective.
2.1.5 In contemporary times whānau has also often been used as a synonym
for
family and sometimes as an equivalent of household. Many Maori families
do in fact spend much of their lives as members of household units
rather
than extended families and may have infrequent contact with other
than extended families and may have infrequent contact with other
whānau members. Similarly a two-generational unit may often be the
norm, at least on a day-to-day basis. City living has resulted in
extended
neighbourhood relationships so that, rather than drawing on the
resources
of the wider whanau, metropolitan Maori families may depend more on
friends or community when immediate help is needed. That does not
diminish their connections to their own whānau but recognises the
realities
of their situations and the difficulties they may have in connecting
with other
whānau members.
2.1.6 Although mindful of the changing realities for whānau and the
geographic distance that has occurred between whānau members, the
Taskforce has interpreted whānau to mean a multi-generational collective
made up of many households that are supported and strengthened by a
wider network of relatives.
Whānau Ora:Taskforce on Whānau-centred Initiatives
Background
In June 2009 Cabinet approved the establishment of the Whānau Ora Taskforce (the Taskforce). Its role was to develop a framework for a whānau -centred approach to whānau wellbeing and development.
The Taskforce has five members. They are: Professor Mason Durie (Chair), Rob Cooper, Suzanne Snively, Di Grennell, and Nancy Tuaine.
Whānau Ora is an inclusive approach to providing services and opportunities to families across New Zealand. It empowers families as a whole, rather than focusing separately on individual family members and their problems.
It requires multiple Government agencies to work together with families rather than separately with individual family members.
The Taskforce held 22 regional hui with a range of urban and rural whānau , iwi and service providers during October and November 2009. Approximately 600 people attended these hui.
The Taskforce also received more than 100 written submissions on its discussion document Whānau Ora: A whānau -centred approach to Māori wellbeing.
The work of the Taskforce is now complete. The Government is currently considering the Taskforce report.
The Government has announced that Hon Tariana Turia will be the Minister Responsible for Whānau Ora and a Governance Group will be established to oversee implementation.
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