Maatai

What is a Cultural Health Index?

A health index is a single number that is calculated by averaging scores from many different types of component indicators. Health indexes are used by scientists, professionals and communities all over the world as one of the most simple and common ways of measuring wellbeing.

Māori scholars in New Zealand came up with the idea of creating a ‘Cultural’ Health Index (CHI) to help Māori communities measure and assess the wellbeing of atua domains or ecosystems. Thus, in New Zealand the word ‘cultural’ is generally understood to mean ‘whānau Māori’ Health Index.

While many different Cultural Health Indexes (CHI) have been created, their development and use follows a common cyclical pathway. This pathway forms a helpful basis for the use of this Maatai CHI accounting tool.

Mōhiotanga (experiential knowing)

As part of the their daily expressions of kawa, kaupapa and tikanga, whānau become increasingly aware and concerned about the wellbeing of atua domains (e.g. rivers, lakes, estuaries, coastal fisheries)
With time, a collective awareness and kōrero begins to emerge along with a desire to better understand causes and effects

Mātauranga (knowledge)

Whānau come together in wānanga to share concerns and mātauranga about:
- How the kawa, kaupapa and tikanga experiences of our tūpuna were connected with atua domains?
- The status and wellbeing of atua domains in the time of our tūpuna
Oral history interviews assist whānau to reclaim mātauranga
Early documents, maps, books and photographs assist whānau to build an understanding of the status and wellbeing of atua domains in earlier times
Whānau call in experts to offer understanding on how local economic activities affect atua domains

Kaitiaki (The guardians of atua domains/ecosystems)

A team of kaitiaki are appointed by hapū to investigate the wellbeing of atua domains or a specific atua domain
A desire exists to use a cultural health index (CHI) approach
Kaitiaki engage in readings to find out about how the CHI has been used to assess the wellbeing of different atua domains
Kaitiaki draw on their whakapapa connections to engage with other research teams involved in CHI project activities
An awareness emerges that the CHI tool is ideally suited to assist in assessing the wellbeing of local atua domains

Tūtohu (Indicators)

Kaitiaki reclaim the indicators used by their tūpuna to assess the wellbeing of atua domains
Kaitiaki (may) call in experts to offer understanding on the best types of indicators to use in monitoring the unwanted effects of economic activities on atua domains
Kaitiaki (may) draw on published indicators frameworks
Kaitiaki (may) choose to consult local government authorities to share resources and data associated with existing monitoring activities
A comprehensive list of preferred hapū indicators has been created

Hanga (Creating)

Kaitiaki create a user account on the Maatai website
Kaitiaki use Maatai to create their own CHI survey worksheets and maps for each of the locations within the specific Atua domain where they wish to conduct monitoring activities (a site visit can assist in refining indicator selection for a given site)
Kaitiaki wānanga with hapū seeking further guidance and confirmation on CHI worksheet design (this step can be supported by site visits with opportunities for kōrero)

Kaute (Measuring and accounting)

The Maatai web-app is used to create a new CHI worksheet for each CHI survey event (i.e. the time and date a survey is conducted)
Kaitiaki create a CHI survey event. Survey data can be entered directly onto the Maatai CHI worksheet with a mobile phone or tablet. Alternatively, kaitiaki can print the CHI survey worksheet onto A4 paper and record survey data using a clipboard and pencil. This survey data can be entered onto the Maatai CHI worksheet later
Future CHI survey events are planned and completed
The Maatai web-app is used to create and print a CHI report for a given atua domain

Wānanga (Collective dialogue, learning, creating)

Kaitiaki report back to hapū on the outcomes and findings of past CHI survey events.
Hapū members consider the CHI results as documented in the CHI survey report. The CHI report is supported by photographs, videos, fieldnotes, maps and kōrero based on the field experiences of kaitiaki
Hapū may wish to combine kōrero about CHI results with a site visit
Improvements to the CHI worksheet and sampling techniques might be suggested by hapū members

Oranga rere (Wellbeing actions)

CHI survey results provide an evidential basis for wellbeing actions by hapū. This can include reframing and reinstating kawa, kaupapa and tikanga
CHI survey results may indicate that remedies or restoration activities are needed (e.g. riparian planting, wetland restoration, the removing of rubbish or plastic from waterways)
Wellbeing actions provide a new opportunity to revise and undertake further CHI monitoring activities