Securing cultural identity for whānau well-being: a qualitative study of a whānau-led initiative.

Colonial processes have severely disrupted Māori social organisation and attachment to place through land alienation and different experiences of urban migration. As a result, many whānau (extended family) have lost connection to their whenua (land) and ancestral marae (communal and sacred meeting ground) causing intergenerational loss of knowledge and values that secure cultural identity and belonging. Finding accessible pathways to restore fragmented knowledge and reconnect whānau to te ao Māori (Māori world) is an essential part of securing cultural identity to facilitate well-being. This qualitative study explores the social, cultural, and health benefits experienced by whānau involved in a whānau-led initiative at their ancestral marae. This research asserts that securing connections to culture and whenua enhances individual and collective identities improving overall whānau health and well-being. Sharing such narratives provides a platform for whānau experiences to be heard illuminating a pathway to potentially inspire other whānau. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]