rangatahi mental health
Te Matatini is just around the corner with kapa (teams) from across Aotearoa in intense preparation mode for the prestigious Māori performing arts competition.
Kapa haka is a taonga (treasure), a display of history and rich culture for which we are known and celebrated internationally, but its benefits in the life of rangatahi Māori don’t stop at entertainment.
A 2015 study on Māori mental health found that participants experienced “feeling safe, being grounded in their bodies, and having an enhanced cultural identity” during kapa haka.
Almost half of the Māori population are rangatahi (youth), a group that is over-represented in mental health statistics - with double the cases of suicide when compared to non-Maori.
Link to article: Weaving kapa haka with healing to improve rangatahi mental health - NZ Herald
