He Toa Taumata Rau – The Many Resting Places of Courage

This three-year Health Research Council funded study investigates the transition experiences of contemporary Māori veterans and their whānau. The project is community/veteran-initiated and grounded in NZ Defence Force principles of tū kaha (courage), tū tika (commitment), tū tira (comradeship), tū maia (integrity).  

The study analyses veterans’ stories using Te Matapihi ki te Ora, a culturally responsive therapeutic framework to facilitate participants’ life review and reflection as they tell their stories of transition.  Short form narratives will also be used to inform health professionals of the needs of Māori veterans following transition. In addition, the team will co-create with veterans a range of holistic, pro-life, mātauranga Māori based health and wellbeing tools to support transition.

The research team is led by Tepora Emery, and includes past Toi Ohomai researchers Heather Hamerton and Cheyenne Kohere, David McBride (Otago University and also a veteran), Candy Cookson Cox (Ua-Cox Consulting.) Paruhiterangi O’Callaghan (a veteran and army padre) and Michael Walker (Trustee of the Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen’s Association of New Zealand also a veteran) have research support roles. The team acknowledges the late Ngāmaru Raerino who was the project cultural advisor.  

The study progress has been presented at national and international conferences, and the 2025 findings are keenly anticipated.

Recent research outputs:

Mitchell, C., Rolston, M., McBride, D., Emery, T., & Hamerton, H. (2022, November 30 - December 2). When Ngāti Tūmatauenga come home. Stories from a couple of army vets about military to civilian transition in Aotearoa New Zealand [Symposium presentation]. ITP Research Symposium, Southern Institute of Technology, Invercargill, New Zealand.

Emery, T., McBride, D., Hamerton, H., Mitchell, C., & Rolston, M. (2022, November 30 - December 2). Te Kai a te Rangatira he kōrero, storytelling as a pathway to care for military veterans [Symposium presentation]. ITP Research Symposium, Southern Institute of Technology, Invercargill, New Zealand.

Emery, T., Kohere, C., Hamerton, H., Cookson-Cox, C., McBride, D., & Walker, M. (2023, September 8). Have I done enough? [Symposium presentation]. Te Manawa Reka - Curiosity, Toi Ohomai Te Pūkenga, Tauranga, New Zealand.