Te Kaunihera O Aotearoa To Spearhead Suicide Prevention Initiative

Te Kaunihera o Aotearoa is tackling high levels of suicide in Māori communities.

The New Zealand Māori Council has secured a $100,000 grant from the Mental Health Foundation’s All-of-Population Suicide Prevention Community Fund for a national Māori -led suicide prevention initiative, Kia Tū, Kia Ora.

Coordinator Grace Hoet says the 12-month project will start with a series of listening and action hui across Aotearoa.

These hui will inform the development of a Māori community suicide prevention toolkit, tikanga-based early response frameworks for non-clinical community support, and postvention protocol templates for marae, community groups and faith settings.

The project will also seek to strengthen community knowledge of referral pathways and support services, and to pilot practical prevention approaches in selected communities.

“We hope to make Māori communities feel more connected, more confident, better equipped, and better supported to respond early to distress, support those affected by suicide, and protect the wellbeing of present and future generations,” Hoet says.

“Kia tū, kia ora – he tapu te oranga: Stand strong. Stand for life. Every life is sacred.”

Māori communities continue to experience disproportionate harm from suicide and suicide-related distress. This is especially acute for rangatahi, tāne, rural whānau, and communities already carrying intergenerational trauma, grief, and social isolation.

“What we hear from Māori communitis is they feel there is a lack of safe, culturally grounded spaces to talk openly about suicide and distress.

“There is a gap between crisis services and trusted community-based support, and limited practical tools for marae, whānau, churches, and grassroots leaders responding to suicide risk or suicide loss.

“Knowledge about where and how to refer people safely for further support varies across communities.

Māori are concerned about rangatahi wellbeing, disconnection, and silence around distress.

“There needs to be earlier intervention grounded in whanaungatanga rather than waiting for a crisis,” Hoet says.

Suicide prevention and community wellbeing fall under the council’s remit under the Māori Community Development Act 1962 to promote the social, economic, educational, and cultural advancement of Māori and to consider and advocate on matters affecting Māori wellbeing.

The Kia Tū, Kia Ora project will draw on the council’s national network and its relationships with Māori committees, Māori wardens, wahine Māori collectives, iwi and hapū leaders, many whānau with lived experiences, and other Māori community leaders.

Health NZ data from 2022/23, the most recent year available, showed Māori experience around 1.8 times the suspected suicide rate among non-Māori

© Scoop Media