New publication: The evolution of Te Ārai
We were pleased to be invited to contribute a chapter on the evolution of our Te Ārai research group to the Research Handbook on End of Life Care and Society edited by David Clark and Anne-Marie Samuels. Tess led this chapter, along with support from Merryn and Brianna Smith. We discuss the formation of Te Ārai within the context of the acknowledged need to improve palliative care and respond to inequities in palliative care experienced in Aotearoa and internationally. Doing this requires greater diversity within research teams to accommodate different life histories, experiences, and cultural needs. We address the question of how end of life care research teams can incorporate greater diversity, more complex skill sets, and broader perspectives.
Members of the Te Ārai Kāhui Kaumātui and researchers at a hui in January 2025.
We were fortunate to have contributions from the Te Ārai Kāhui Kaumātua. In particular, they reflected on why they support Te Ārai and what benefits they see coming from our work for Māori whānau. One reflection they shared was the role of Te Ārai in supporting the palliative care sector in Aotearoa to become better equipped to support whānau :
It is integral to our own people and others to have insight [into] what our people need and how we can use our kawa (customs), tikanga (customary protocols) and rongoā Māori (Māori medicine) practices to support people in palliative care because often Māori are not included in discussions and decision making and there are not enough Māori working in this sector.
Drawing from their own subjective experiences of engaging with the western healthcare system when someone was dying created a personal interest for our kaumātua in contributing to a team that is dedicated to improving palliative care outcomes for all whānau. As one kaumātua:
This journey [with Te Ārai] has been very informative and from a personal perspective I think the findings of this research and the resources created from the findings have been fantastic with many intuitive and willing participants throughout. This palliative care research has been and will continue to be fundamental and of great importance in the oranga (health) of each of the whānau involved and others beyond the project.
Te Ārai Kāhui Kaumātua advisory group discussed how they viewed the Kāhui as a supportive network that provides space to gather and to discuss palliative care and end of life research. They provided the following explanation for how their participation enables them to work collaboratively:
Having others of the same mind, same customary protocols (tikanga) to discuss, uplift and support each other.
Reciprocal teaching and learning style between younger and older generations (tuakana-teina) and experiences; to share and sometimes disagree.
Having input from other tribes (iwi) and sub-tribes (hapū) throughout Aotearoa New Zealand.
To be able to openly discuss/debate our indigeneity pertaining to the research. (Email communication, WWH, Te Ārai Kāhui Kaumātua advisory group, 2023).
This chapter follows on from our original publication about the development of Te Ārai Palliative Care and End of Life Research Group and was a great opportunity to reflect on where we have come from and where we want to go. The support of the Kāhui has been, and remains, absolutely integral to our journey.