Description
The investigation into COVID-19 approaches for Indigenous people including Māori (Indigenous people of Aotearoa, New Zealand) has been limited and or inconsistent. For these reasons, it is important to capture the following challenges and particularly the success for Māori as presented over the past four months. Ko tōku ara rā, Aotearoa COVID-19 2020 encompasses the breadth and depth of the spread of contributions made by nine rohe (regions) of te Ao Māori (Māori world), Aotearoa (New Zealand).
This introductory chapter acknowledges the range of responses utilised by Iwi (tribes), Hauora Māori
(Māori Health Services), Community-based and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), District
Health Boards (DHBs) and Government agencies. Given the variety and differences of solutions made
available in the distinct locations, what is clear is that all the approaches by Māori were driven by a sense of intergenerational manaaki (care) and the continuation of whakapapa (genealogy). The editors have inserted the chapters as received by them to acknowledge the reality of the authors and their undeniable service to their people na koutou ngā ringa raupā te mana.