Te Whare Tapa Wha

Te Whare Tapa Whā is Māori holistic health model unique to Aotearoa New Zealand, arising from some mahi done by Professor Mason Durie (1985), reflecting important aspects of Māori culture, or tikanga, consisting of four pillars symbolising the four walls of the wharenui, the meeting house which shelters and sustains us, and connects us to our whenua. The four areas are: te taha tinana or physical wellness; te taha hinekaro, emotional wellness; te taha wairua, spiritual wellbeing; and te taha whānau, or family wellbeing. These can be better defined as:

1. Te Taha Tinana: This is our "capacity for physical growth and [optimal] development". "Our physical 'being' supports our essence and shelters us from the external environment". The "physical dimension [...] cannot be separated from the aspect of mind, spirit and family" (Hauora Māori, 2008)
2. Te Taha Hinekaro: This is our "capacity to communicate, to think and to feel mind and body are Inseparable". Our "thoughts, feelings and emotions are Integral components" of who we are. "This [element] is about how we see ourselves in this universe, our Interaction" with who we want to be, and "the perception that others have of us" (Hauora Māori, 2008)
3. Te Taha Whānau: This is our capacity [for belonging], to care and to share where individuals are part of wider social systems". "Whanau provides us with the strength to be who we are", to have authenticity. This forms "our ties with the past, the present and the future" (Hauora Māori, 2008)
4. Te Taha Wairua: This is our "capacity for faith and wider communication", relating to "unseen and unspoken energies". "The spiritual essence of a person Is their life force. This determines us as Individuals and as a collective, who and what we are, where we have come from and where we are going" (Hauora Māori, 2008). 

This model is also known as Haoura (total wellbeing): there are four walls to the house and each of those walls represent a balanced aspect of our lives. Remaining centred and in balance, as the structure of Whare tūpuna (an ancestral Māori house) must remain in balance, is essential. If there too much focus on one aspect the whare could not be in harmony (Careers New Zealand, 2017; O'Neill, 2009).

While Te Whare Tapa Whā can be applied to any population, it "reflects the unified perspective of the universe that is fundamental to the Māori worldview" (Rochford, 2004, p. 49). Further, although it is a healthcare model, it is used as a career model by considering each of the four concepts of tinana, hinekaro, whānau, and wairua when making career decisions (Rochford, 2004).

When making decisions about our own future, or the future of those around us, considering physical, emotional, spiritual, and whānau wellbeing is likely to ensure that the choices we make are balanced. We are likely to make better, more even decisions.

And we are less likely to regret them..

Sam

References:

Careers New Zealand. (2017, May 01). Te whare tapa whā. https://www.careers.govt.nz/assets/pages/docs/Final-career-theory-model-te-whare-tapa-wha-20170501.pdf

Durie, M. H. (1985). A Māori perspective of health. Social Science & Medicine, 20(5), 483-486. https://doi.org/10.1016/0277-9536(85)90363-6

Hauora Māori. (2008). Te Whare Tapa Whā: Maori Health Model. Ministry of Health. http://www.hauora.co.nz/assets/files/Maori/maori_health_model_tewhare.pdf

Health Navigator. (2022). Te whare tapa whā and wellbeing [image]. http://www.healthnavigator.org.nz/healthy-living/t/te-whare-tapa-wh%C4%81-and-wellbeing/

O’Neill, H. (2009). Māori Models of Mental Wellness. Te Kaharoa, 2, 96-115. https://openrepository.aut.ac.nz/bitstream/handle/10292/3325/47-134-1-PB%5B2%5D.pdf?sequence=2&isAllowed=y

Rochford, T. (2004). Whare Tapa Whā: A Māori model of a unified theory of health. Journal of Primary Prevention, 25(1), 41-57. https://doi.org/10.1023/B:JOPP.0000039938.39574.9e