Te Whare Pora a Hine-te-iwaiwa: weaving tradition into the lives of pregnant Māori women, new mothers and babies

Abstract

Te Whare Pora a Hine-te-iwaiwa (Te Whare Pora), a Māori (Indigenous peoples of Aotearoa (New Zealand)) approach to the prevention of sudden infant death, posits that immersion in traditional knowledge and the weaving of the wahakura (woven flax bassinet) as a safe infant sleep space boosts the resilience of pregnant wāhine Māori (Māori women) and the post-neonatal safety of their infants. Our data are drawn from the observations, conversations and 24 months field-work of an embedded researcher, and formal interviews with 15 pregnant Māori women, their weaving tutor and six kuia (female elders). A rich description of the womens’ experiences demonstrates that Te Whare Pora bolsters the capability of those involved to stand tall in mana wāhine (status as Māori women). This reclaiming of the antenatal period and decolonisation of antenatal care demonstrates that the wahakura belongs within a Māori world, where health outcomes are achieved through Māori being Māori.