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The Journal of Primary Prevention, Vol. 25, No. 1, September 2004 ( CM
aori, the indigenous people of New Zealand, have suffered social and economic
deprivation as a result of colonisation. Maori suffer worse health then their P
akeh
a 2004)Whare Tapa Wha: A M
aori Model
of a Unified Theory of HealthTim Rochford1(non-Maori) cohort. Maori are using their traditional worldview to develop a
model of health that can be used as a holistic or unified theory of health. The
model, Whare Tapa Wha, can be used as clinical assessment tool. The model is
part of Maori seeking to regain control over our health services. It has supported
the development of a Maori health sector, which has led to gains in both health
and community development.KEY WORDS:Ko Aoraki te maukaKo Makaawhio te awaKo Uruao te wakaKo Te Koeti te takataKo Poutini te whenuaKo Kati Mahaki te hap
uKo Mamoe Kai Tahu te iwiTena koutou katoa(Greetings to you all, Aoraki is my mountain, Makaawhio is my river,
the Uruao is my ancestral canoe, Poutini is my homeland and Te Koeti
the ancestor who links me to these things. My tribe is Kati Mahakiofthe
Mamoe Kai Tahu people of the South Island of New Zealand.)This is a greeting that places me as a Maori of the Mamoe Kai Tahu
confederation of tribes of the South Island of New Zealand. More specifically, it links me to my ancestral home at the mouth of the Makaawhio1101 Freyburg St., Lyall Bay, Wellington, New Zealand; e-mail: makawhioa [email protected]/04/0900-0041/0 C 2004 Springer Science+Business Media, Inc.42 Rochfordriver on the southwestern coast of that island. These links form my identity and give me knowledge of my place in the world and the responsibility
to pass that knowledge on to my children. In my professional life, I am
a lecturer in Maori health at the Wellington School of Medicine of the
University of Otago.The purpose of this paper is to describe culturally specific frameworks developed by Maori to respond to our health needs. The framework can operate at high
level policy setting, as templates for designing prevention strategies, as a clinical
assessment tool, or to set outcome indicators for assessing appropriate treatment
for Maori.This framework can be useful for understanding any kind of health issue