Strategies for cultural connections
This section describes the variation in number of marae that individual rangatahi belong to and the physical distances (both near and far)that they must travel to be with their marae community. Further, we show the strategies that young Māori suggest will draw them (and their fellow rangatahi) closer to their marae.
Figure 9: Top 10 Web based activities/resources/ideas to help rangatahi find their marae (N=153)
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Web-based resources to help rangatahi (who don’t know their marae/pā) find out about what marae they are connected to
Similarly, rangatahi (who couldn’t name their marae), also reported that both established and innovative websites/apps could help them to find their tūrangawaewae. For example, almost half (47%) of rangatahi indicated that ‘Marae, hapū or iwi information websites for rangatahi’ was a good resource (See figure 9). Approximately one quarter of rangatahi also indicated that Facebook, Instagram or TikTok would help them find their marae. One quarter (25%) also indicated that Māori Maps was a useful resource. One fifth (20%) of rangatahi (who couldn’t name their marae) were not sure what ‘web-based resources’ could help them to find their marae (see appendix four for full ranked list)
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Places where rangatahi learn tikanga, te reo, stories and or Māori history
While many people and institutions contribute to the education of young Māori about tikanga, te reo, stories and or Māori history in the 21st century, the survey showed that the two principal places of learning were Home and Educational institutions. In our survey we asked rangatahi to list the multiple places they gained their Māori knowledges and practices. As shown in figure 10, almost half (46%) of rangatahi (who answered this survey question) told us they learn tikanga, te reo, stories or Māori history from their whānau (Home) (among other places). In contrast, almost two thirds (61%) of rangatahi report they learned the above knowledges at School, University, Polytech, or Wananga. Importantly, more than a quarter (28%) of rangatahi also gained the above knowledges and practices at Kapa haka (among other places and events).
Figure 10: Where rangatahi learn tikanga, te reo, stories or Māori history (N=228)
Figure 11: Top 5 Reasons for not visiting marae or pā in previous 12 months (N=201)
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Reasons why rangatahi don’t visit
their marae or pā more regularly
This research has shown that rangatahi have a strong desire to connect with their marae/ pā. That considered, multiple barriers limit potential visits to marae. Importantly, and as figure 1l shows, visiting marae is limited by things outside of rangatahi control. These include; reliance on whānau for transport or busy-ness on the part of same. Lack of proximity to ancestral marae is also a large barrier to visits. More than half (52%) of rangatahi (who could name their marae), didn’t visit more often because it was/they were too far away (See appendix three for full ranked list).
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Multiple pathways to cultural connection
While just half of our survey rangatahi can name and visit their ancestral marae/ pā, significant proportions of all rangatahi (we surveyed) continue to reach out for connection and reconnection with important locations of their culture. Figure 13 also shows the influences of whānau, educators and schoolteachers and close proximity upon the frequency of visits by rangatahi to non-ancestral marae/ pā. Almost three quarters (72%) of survey rangatahi had visited a local marae (not their own) in the past twelve months. Two thirds (67%) of rangatahi have visited their Marae-a-kura. This proportion is possibly reflective of the presence/lack of presence of marae on the school grounds.
Figure 12: The seeking of cultural connection by young Māori (N=362)