New Zealand's Dark Secret: Domestic Abuse in the Mãori Culture

New Zealand is a wealthy Pacific nation dominated by two cultural groups: New Zealanders of European descent and the minority Mãori. The indigenous culture is experiencing a renaissance but centuries of colonization have created a disadvantaged minority struggling with poverty and an alarmingly prevalent rate of domestic abuse.

The issues have been under the spotlight in recent news that has unveiled startling statistics. In 2005, fifty percent of people sentenced for "male assaults female" assaults were Mãori even though the group makes up only 15% of the country's population. In other surveys, 42% of Mãori women reported abuse at the hands of their partner while white women reported 20%.

Abuse towards Mãori children is also alarming. New Zealand has the third highest rate of child murders in the world. The For the Sake of the Children trust confirmed 10,687 cases of neglect or abuse in 2005 and 53,097 cases of suspected child abuse. New Zealand's population is 4.1 million people. The problem is so widespread that most New Zealanders claim to know a child who has witnessed violence in their home.

The 1994 film Once Were Warriors brought a biting commentary on domestic violence in the Mãori Culture to the public. The film won critical acclaim and has been touted by many Mãori as a moment of hard to swallow truth.

New Zealand's domestic violence problem gained more public exposure in 2006 when New Zealand Governor General Dame Sylvia Cartwright addressed the nation as it reeled in the aftermath of the brutal killing of three-month old twin boys. In her speech Cartwright said it was time for New Zealand to address its own "nightmare" of its domestic abuse record.

Three month old Chris and Cru Kahui were admitted to the Starship Children's Hospital with head injuries and broken bones. The brothers were acompanied by their mother Macsyna King who cited that the twins were not feeding.

Medical examinations determined that the boys were brain dead. They were placed on life support but died at the hospital on June 18, 2006, five days after they were admitted. The South Auckland police found that the children's injuries were the result of blunt force trauma and treated the case as a double homicide.

The subsequent investigation revealed that Macsyna King and the twins lived with nine other adults. The housemates had been present at the time the infants were injured. The brutality of the twin's death and the questionable circumstances surrounding them put domestic violence in Mãori families under the microscope.

Previous high profile cases include the death of two-year-old Delcelia Witika at the hands of her parents in 1991, five-year-old James Whakaruru killed by his step-father in 1999, two-year-old Hinewaoriki "Lillybing" Karaitiana-Matiaha killed by her aunt in 2000 and Pirimai Simmonds who was killed by his father in 2001.

The violence against children in New Zealand is too often at the hands of the very people entrusted with their care, their family members. Between 1990 and 2001, 24 out of every 100,000 children in New Zealand were killed.

The statistics leave questions of cause. European colonization has resulted in a disproportionate number of Mãori living at the low end of the socio-economic scale. But poverty alone doesn't explain the widespread domestic abuse.

Child abuse experts say it has nothing to do with culture, that any particular culture poses more risk to children is not founded. The hard truth remains that domestic violence among the Mãori culture stands out from that of other groups.

In Manakau, where the Kahui twins lived, Mãori leaders have called communities together to address the problems. Together with the government, community groups have launched the Family Violence Awareness collaboration. Similar networks exist but many say that the community has lost confidence in the system and haven't sought available help.

The evolving focus on domestic violence in the Mãori community has been called racist by some and the statistics could lead to a stereotypical perception. More so, the scrutiny is an attempt to head off more abuse and break the violent cycles that exist, a cycle that many Mãori acknowledge. Still, leaders adamantly warn against wide sweeping racial or cultural stereotypes.

The factors that contribute to domestic violence - disillusionment, poverty, unemployment, alcohol and drug abuse - are seen in indigenous communities around the globe and are hard to quantify. It is possible that New Zealand may just be better at monitoring the problems.

New Zealanders across ethnic groups possess similar views of masculinity that are macho, physically and emotionally strong. The Mãori are descendants of a patriarchal warrior race but traditionally protection of children was a high, communal priority. In Mãori language, matua applies to mother, father, aunt and uncle. Care of the younger generation was the responsibility of everyone.

Today, government figures show that Mãori children under five-years-old suffer "intentional injury" at twice the rate of other children in New Zealand - an unsettling indication that these once revered cultural values are facing severe challenges.

One of the most significant aspects of Mãori culture is the relationship of the people to the land. This has also been the most significantly undermined. It is said that Mãori people's relationship with the earth is one of child to parent. This principle of respect and value is still an essential part of Mãori identity but has been challenged for almost two hundred years by colonization. The government made some efforts for land recompense during the 1990s, but land issues remain.

The domestic abuse is linked to colonization issues. The National Network of Stopping Violence Services says that men in colonized cultures experience less power in the world, a frustration that is taken out on the people closest to them. In New Zealand, the cycle of violence is common and the country is now known to have one of the worst rates of domestic abuse in the developed world.

Initiatives aimed at breaking the cycle are being cultivated as the country begins to acknowledge it has a problem. The Mãori culture is strong and although it faces significant challenges to overcome its dark secret, the light that has been cast across startling statistics is the first step towards proving they are warriors still.

Resources:

The World Fact Book https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/nz.html

Heather Sharp "New Zealand faces its dark secret" BBC News, January 29, 2007 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6309791.stm

"Country profile: New Zealand" BBC News, November 10, 2006 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/country_profiles/1136253.stm

"Twin's deaths highlight abuse issue" One News, June 26, 2006 http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/425824/789996

Greg Stutchbury "New Zealand battles dark secret of family violence" Mail & Guardian, August 22, 2006 http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=281588&area=/breaking_news/breaking_news__international_news/