Land Loss, Historic Trauma and the Intergenerational Transmission of Wellbeing: The Experience of Iwi in Aotearoa New Zealand

<p><b>Previous literature has outlined the impacts that the colonisation of Aotearoa New Zealand has had on Māori and how these impacts persist through the intergenerational transfer of trauma which has resulted in socioeconomic deprivation and cultural marginalisation. This thesis will examine whether historical land alienation, based on the unique experiences suffered by different iwi (tribes), explains aspects of the variation observed in contemporary economic, social and cultural outcomes of different iwi. It draws from and contributes to the literature on historic trauma, post-development theory, and path dependency. </b></p><p>To examine these issues, the thesis uses geospatial data of Māori land holdings through different points in time and links it to contemporary cultural and socioeconomic outcomes (by iwi) using data from the 2013 New Zealand census and Te Kupenga. It also explores the relationship that the landholdings have with iwi population growth and Land Use Capability (LUC) class, utilising ordinary least squares (OLS) and ordered logit regression modelling. The analysis also includes a dummy variable for iwi who suffered land alienations via confiscation. </p><p>The thesis makes several findings. First, it finds that iwi who had a large proportion of arable land were more likely to experience the greatest proportion of land loss overall. This reaffirms the historical narrative that Māori land that was suitable for arable use was targeted for acquisitions and confiscation and inevitably alienated from iwi in order to establish and facilitate European settlement. </p><p>Second, there is a negative relationship between land loss and certain contemporary cultural wellbeing measures, such as te reo Māori proficiency. This supports the narrative that the displacement of iwi from their land impacted intergenerational wellbeing and led to the loss of cultural efficacy and wellbeing for contemporary iwi members, through the deterioration of many established social structures. </p><p>Third, the findings suggest that Māori culture serves an important function of providing resilience for iwi against historic trauma, particularly for those iwi that experienced a ‘cataclysmic’ historic trauma event through confiscation. The findings also illustrate the importance of reconnecting people with their whenua and traditional iwi boundaries (rohe) and the central role this has in improving the wellbeing outcomes of iwi through the strengthening of culture. </p><p>Fourth, there is a positive relationship between historic land loss and contemporary cellular access. This contributes to the literature on evolutionary economics and historic path dependency of infrastructure investment and development, specifically in relation to cellular infrastructure, with it suggesting that contemporary access to internet and cellular infrastructure is predicated on early European investment in infrastructure. </p><p>The findings from this thesis illustrate the central role that mātauranga and tikanga Māori have in enhancing the wellbeing of Māori. It shows how this cultural knowledge operates as a source of resilience for Māori, with it having the potential to support healing from historic trauma; trauma which continues to affect the wellbeing outcomes of contemporary Māori. Thus, this thesis may be useful in the development of policies that contribute towards improving the wellbeing outcomes of Māori through the cultural empowerment of whānau, hapū and iwi.</p>

Land Loss, Historic Trauma and the Intergenerational Transmission of Wellbeing: The Experience of Iwi in Aotearoa New Zealand

<p><b>Previous literature has outlined the impacts that the colonisation of Aotearoa New Zealand has had on Māori and how these impacts persist through the intergenerational transfer of trauma which has resulted in socioeconomic deprivation and cultural marginalisation. This thesis will examine whether historical land alienation, based on the unique experiences suffered by different iwi (tribes), explains aspects of the variation observed in contemporary economic, social and cultural outcomes of different iwi. It draws from and contributes to the literature on historic trauma, post-development theory, and path dependency. </b></p><p>To examine these issues, the thesis uses geospatial data of Māori land holdings through different points in time and links it to contemporary cultural and socioeconomic outcomes (by iwi) using data from the 2013 New Zealand census and Te Kupenga. It also explores the relationship that the landholdings have with iwi population growth and Land Use Capability (LUC) class, utilising ordinary least squares (OLS) and ordered logit regression modelling. The analysis also includes a dummy variable for iwi who suffered land alienations via confiscation. </p><p>The thesis makes several findings. First, it finds that iwi who had a large proportion of arable land were more likely to experience the greatest proportion of land loss overall. This reaffirms the historical narrative that Māori land that was suitable for arable use was targeted for acquisitions and confiscation and inevitably alienated from iwi in order to establish and facilitate European settlement. </p><p>Second, there is a negative relationship between land loss and certain contemporary cultural wellbeing measures, such as te reo Māori proficiency. This supports the narrative that the displacement of iwi from their land impacted intergenerational wellbeing and led to the loss of cultural efficacy and wellbeing for contemporary iwi members, through the deterioration of many established social structures. </p><p>Third, the findings suggest that Māori culture serves an important function of providing resilience for iwi against historic trauma, particularly for those iwi that experienced a ‘cataclysmic’ historic trauma event through confiscation. The findings also illustrate the importance of reconnecting people with their whenua and traditional iwi boundaries (rohe) and the central role this has in improving the wellbeing outcomes of iwi through the strengthening of culture. </p><p>Fourth, there is a positive relationship between historic land loss and contemporary cellular access. This contributes to the literature on evolutionary economics and historic path dependency of infrastructure investment and development, specifically in relation to cellular infrastructure, with it suggesting that contemporary access to internet and cellular infrastructure is predicated on early European investment in infrastructure. </p><p>The findings from this thesis illustrate the central role that mātauranga and tikanga Māori have in enhancing the wellbeing of Māori. It shows how this cultural knowledge operates as a source of resilience for Māori, with it having the potential to support healing from historic trauma; trauma which continues to affect the wellbeing outcomes of contemporary Māori. Thus, this thesis may be useful in the development of policies that contribute towards improving the wellbeing outcomes of Māori through the cultural empowerment of whānau, hapū and iwi.</p>

Ethnic Identity, Memory, and Sites of Violence

The Arab uprisings may have contributed to a newly “sectarianized” Middle East, yet more broadly this must be recognized as part of resurgent identity politics in which state exclusion, repression, and violence occur across ethnic, religious, and political divides. The mobilization of ethnic identities—the creation of distinct collectivities based on narratives of common descent—is as evident in nationalist diatribes throughout the region as it is in minority rights campaigns for equality or cultural autonomy. Ethnic identity formation requires both mnemonic discourses and specific sites in which social memories, imaginaries, and practices can be embedded and collectively performed. This chapter examines how geographies of violence—sites of historic trauma, loss, and displacement—are reappropriated through commemorative practice and martyr memorialization, which help shape contemporary ethnic narratives of identity and resistance. From Kurds in Irbil to Copts in Egypt to Palestinians inside Israel, each community attests to spatial exclusion and violence and finds ways of inhabiting and reimaging past trauma, to shape historical narratives and contemporary political expediencies. This chapter explores some of the key scholarship around this theme before examining the growing proliferation of martyr museums in the region.

“The Food Matches the Mood”: Experiences of Eating Disorders in Bipolar Disorder

Approximately 33% of those with bipolar disorder (BD) have a comorbid eating disorder (ED). However, the trajectory of these conditions has received little research attention. Nine participants who met criteria for BD and an ED participated in qualitative interviews exploring experiences of illness onset, the interaction of these conditions, and service provision. Almost all participants in the sample reported minimal to no screening of ED problems, despite their health professionals’ frequent discussion of obesity. Findings suggested that ED features were diverse and evolved over time. Mania and depression were connected to ED features such as overeating and restricting, but this differed between and within participants. Most participants disclosed historic trauma which they considered central to their mental health concerns. This clinical group appears to be underserviced. Clinicians and researchers should routinely screen for ED features when treating and diagnosing BD to inform their physical and mental health interventions.

Metaphorical Reflections on the Colonial Circus of the Drunken Indian and the Kidney Machine

This paper represents the need for First Nations community workers to share their narratives of experience and wisdom for academic review. A growing number of mature Indigenous social service workers are returning to Canada’s learning centers where they are articulating observations and insights to Indigenous experience in colonial Canada. It is imperative that post-colonial academic literature include these contributions. True reconciliation between Canada and First Peoples is only possible if those stories of resilience are reflected back from the experience of historic trauma and unresolved intergenerational suffering.

Narrative as Lived Experience

My concern is these serious issues will continue to worsen, as a domino effect that our Ancestors have warned us of in their Prophecies (Arvol Looking Horse, May 2010). Aboriginal peoples have walked a long way through a landscape of loss and determination since early contact with Europeans. Today Indigenous authors, healers and spokespeople are asking our people to awaken fully and begin the process of reviving and practicing the seven sacred values that guided our ancestors and ensured that we might live today. The Prophesies and Creation stories contain the encouragement our people need to unburden themselves of deeply embedded historic trauma and loss. We have work to do; to tell our own stories, to actively participate in rescripting the narrative of our lives and representations, and to do this in our own voices (Nissley, 2009). This paper is a narrative of the historic challenges that have shadowed the many since ‘his-story’ began interspersed with the story of my own lived experience.

Situating Intergenerational Trauma in the Educational Journey

The impact of trauma on learning in post-secondary institutions is largely ignored. However, recent studies on how Aboriginal people experience mental health issues are bringing attention to Aboriginal students’ experiences of intergenerational trauma (IGT). IGT occurs when the maladaptive effects of an original trauma experience, such as historic trauma inclusive of Indian Residential Schools (IRS), results in unhealthy effects on the first generation being passed down to the next generation or multiple generations. Given the lengthy history of collective historic trauma experienced by Aboriginal people, it is reasonable to expect that Aboriginal students’ learning is affected by IGT. As post-secondary educators, we engaged a limited study to further our knowledge of the impact of IGT on Aboriginal students. We were puzzled by Aboriginal students’ attrition within university programs—students we believed who were more than capable of success. We chose to explore this issue from the perspective of trauma-informed education principles (Mordoch & Gaywish, 2011). Building on past work, this qualitative study explores how IGT affects the educational journeys of Aboriginal students. A conceptual framework based on an Anishinabe teaching of Four Lodges (directional)—Talking, Planning, Teaching, and Healing—guided our research. The researchers formulated questions for each Lodge to frame our research on how IGT is understood by students enrolled in select programs for mature Indigenous students. We asked about the effects of IGT in the classroom and the resultant problems students face in their educational journey. Sixteen Indigenous students, 10 instructors, and nine administrators employed in Aboriginal focus or access programs for at least three years participated in semi-structured interview conversations. Findings reflect their perceptions of the interplay between IGT and educational experiences and potential strategies to redress resultant issues. Keywords: intergenerational trauma; post-secondary education; trauma-informed education

Potter’s Field

Writing as an installation and performance artist, Michael Bramwell ties Drake to some of the same traumatic legacies of the Middle Passage and slavery that function as a horizon of authenticity in his own art. Bramwell’s video performances of himself sweeping the doorways of abandoned Harlem buildings in a standard-issue janitor’s uniform disrupt easy associations between African American identity and historic forms of oppression typical to celebrations of black art. In this chapter, Bramwell works through an analysis of Drake, while turning and returning to the legacy of historic trauma that lingers at the core of African American art.