A new documentary, It Takes A Kāinga, aims to shine a spotlight on the maternal mental health statistics for Maori mothers in Aotearoa – who are three times more likely to die by suicide will pregnant. Director Taylor Hohepa talks to Capsule about the importance of having Te Ao Māori values in birth and how that can overcome the loneliness and spiritual disregulation for pregnant people.
If you’d had a child, you’ll know the paradox of parenthood: nothing will bring you more joy, and nothing will push you to the edge of your mental health. With a rising knowledge of maternal mental health, the statistics in Aotearoa are not good – suicide is the leading cause of death for pregnant people and new mothers. But for Māori Māmā, it’s an even harder reality – because they are 3.5 times more likely to die by suicide in pregnancy.
There is no silver bullet to solving this problem, but for director Taylor Hohepa, her own experience of being a young mother made her want to draw attention to this problem, and help highlight the solutions available. The result is the documentary series It Takes A Kāinga, a new project hosted by artist, musician and mother Ria Hall.
“We wanted to bring awareness to māmās about building a kāinga that reflects them, that looks like them and understands them as indigenous people and as culturally rooted people,” Taylor says. “The healthcare system doesn’t always consider cultural values, and so we really do want to encourage Māori that ‘hey, there are opportunities that will focus on a traditional way, if that’s what you’re after.’”
Taylor has a two-year-old daughter, Ina Te Manarangi. In her own case, she wishes she had more access to a kāinga that felt culturally relevant to her when she was giving birth. “I wasn’t aware of all the opportunities out there for Māori, while you’re in this space.”
A Te Ao Māori viewpoint towards hapūtanga (the pregnancy journey) can differ a lot to what is offered by the standard hospital environment. It might mean birthing at home, with a full whānau around the mother, rather than just one support person, having photos of tipuna around them as they give birth.
“There are hapūtanga wānanga [Māori midwives] everywhere, who focus on mana motuhake over your birth, having autonomy over your birth; going back to pre-colonial practises.”
For previous generations of Māori mothers, this was one of the many, many ways their indigenous practises were stripped away for them. Much like the resurgence of interest and accessibility in reclaiming te reo, there is a strong movement from young Māori wāhine to also reclaim this literal birthright: to give birth in a way that honours their cultural heritage.
“A lot of our young māmā are really taking that step,” Taylor says. “So many of our kaumātua, our old people, their traditional ways to taken away from them. You really see it in our young people now, they’re wanting to learn, they’re wanting to speak Māori to their pepi as soon as baby comes out. They want more mana motuhake over their birth. It’s so beautiful to see.”
At the Manurewa marae, for instance, there is a new birthing centre that focuses on a homebirth safe space combined with clinical nurses available, Taylor says. The more she researched in putting together It Takes A Kāinga, the more she saw just how prevalent these practises were becoming across Aotearoa. From big city centres through to rural areas, there were indigenous experts all throughout the motu – and it’s an overlooked part of the overall health of the mother.
“I think it’s proven that the way we honour our traditions, it’s what keeps us well as a people,” says Taylor. “That’s why it’s so important.”
We’ve written before on Capsule on the importance of embracing the Te Ao Māori viewpoint of health when it comes to overcoming stress and burnout, but the experience of hapūtanga is not only full-on for the physical and mental health of a mother, it’s also spiritually a very intense time. As well as growing another body, you’re also growing another soul. So having practices that tie mothers into the generations of women who have come before them is extra important during such a vulnerable time – and can only help to reduce those staggering suicide numbers in pregnant Māori women, by making them feel less alone.
“A lot of people are not aware of those statistics when our māmā are hapu, and so what we really wanted to focus on [in the documentary] was how do we start building your kāinga during that process, as soon as you fall hapu,” Taylor says. “Because when you have that wraparound support as soon as you fall pregnant, then theatrically speaking you have that support right throughout your parenting as well.”
For Māori māmā who are just starting their hapūtanga journey and they don’t know where to find this help, Taylor says to go to your local marae as a starting point – or ask your midwife, who will also know the next step to take. Having that spiritual support and that logistical community sport can be invaluable for starting such an intense journey, she says.
“We know that it’s not easy to build a village. Colonisation has done that to us – separated us, in a way that we’re disconnected from our land, from our whānau – and made it incredibly hard to build that kāinga,” Taylor says. “That’s why it’s important to start building that kāinga as soon as you fall pregnant. Don’t be afraid to reach out. It’s okay to admit that you feel alone, there are people out there that are feeling exactly the same and we need to start having these conversations.”
