Building a Virtual Papakāinga: A review of best practice

Papakāinga played an important role in keeping whānau safe during the Covid Lockdown in 2020. Papakāinga offered benefits for whānau such as ongoing social and cultural connection, the ability to share roles such as grocery shopping and kaumatua care to ensure those who were vulnerable to infection were able to stay safe. 

Given most of us are not able to live in papakāinga co-living settings, this project explores the possibility of scaling up the benefits inherent in physical papakāinga for tamariki, rangatahi and young  Māori whānau in particular, irrespective of their geographical location or living situation through a virtual papakāinga. 

It scopes the literature and undertakes preparatory interviews with whānau living in rural and urban settings inside and outside of papakāinga settings to ask how social media is used by different age groups, the role of social media and telecommunication apps during lockdown, the impact on tikanga and the role of social media and telecommunication apps in encouraging social and cultural connection.

[The image is of fried bread to symbolise social and cultural connection and the possibility of the virtual papakāinga app.]

RESEARCH TEAM

Dr Mike Ross – Ngāti Hauā, Mike is a Lecturer at Te Kawa a Mauri Te Herenga Waka, Victoria University of Wellington. His work focuses on reo revitalisation and whānau and hapū development.

Thomas Kiddle – Ngāti Porou, Ngāpuhi, Thomas is a computer coder, web and app designer. He has worked both in the UK and here in Aotearoa, New Zealand.

Steven Davey – Tauiwi, Steven has a background in philosophy and psychology and has recently completed a PhD in psychological medicine at Otago University, Wellington.

Dr Rebecca Kiddle – Ngāti Porou, Ngāpuhi, Becky is a Senior Lecturer in Urbanism at the School of Architecture, Te Herenga Waka, Victoria University of Wellington.

David Hakaraia– Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Pāoa, Dave is a Lecturer in Indigenous Design at the School of Design, Te Herenga Waka, Victoria University of Wellington.