Tūhono Māori: A Research Study of Attachment from an Indigenous Māori Perspective

Abstract

Tūhono Māori is a qualitative research project that engages with Indigenous Kaupapa Māori methodology and methods. The purpose is to investigate a uniquely Māori approach for understanding the nature in which healthy whānau (family) relationships are fostered within a Māori social system. The research seeks to advance what we understand about healthy attachments through an Indigenous Māori lens, exploring traditional and contemporary notions of attachment in which healthy emotional bonds are fostered and secure whānau attachments promoted. The aim of this research is to develop Māori theory that will shape trauma-informed interventions for Māori children and their whānau. The study is intended to address a knowledge gap in which tūhono (attach/bond) and related concepts such as tūhonotanga (attachment/connectedness) are proposed as a contemporary Māori notion of attachment. This paper discusses the methodology and methods employed in the Tūhono Māori research project.