Abstract
Indigenous people are well used to culturally insensitive housing solutions. A legacy of colonialism and imperialism, which dispossessed Indigenous people of their lands, has been detrimental to their wellbeing and identity. When British colonists arrived in New Zealand they brought with them their ideas of land commodification and individual ownership, which contrasted heavily with the relationship Māori had with their whenua. Major land losses have had many social and cultural implications for Māori people, as their land remains a cornerstone for their identity. As the percentage of the Māori population living in urban environments continues to rise, appropriate housing solutions are needed more than ever. Māori have been forced to settle and live in homes designed for the nuclear family, as opposed to traditional arrangements where they live among their extended family.
In an attempt to mitigate and remedy the loss of culture and identity that Māori have experienced, papakāinga housing developments have been gaining momentum as a mechanism to restore tikanga Māori in a contemporary planning context. Papakāinga are housing developments that allow tangata whenua to build and live on their ancestral lands, in accordance with traditional arrangements. Many iwi/hapū groups around New Zealand are witnessing the success of papakāinga developments, but are either under-resourced or are not fully informed on how to make papakāinga a reality for their tangata whenua.
Local government planning frameworks can marginalise Māori by creating administrative barriers and obstacles that limit their ability to achieve their papakāinga aspirations. Greater research is needed on planning for papakāinga in New Zealand as it can help Māori regain rangatiratanga over their lands and move iwi and hapū groups closer to their goal of selfdetermination and autonomy. It can also help Māori reconnect with their ancestral roots and their culture.
By comparing two papakāinga in Canterbury and engaging in interviews with key informants, this study analyses the process of achieving papakāinga housing developments in the planning context of Aotearoa. The research finds key restrictions to include existing legislative and planning processes with colonial bias, local authorities often having a poor understanding of Māori Land and papakāinga, finance, and more holistically, that conventional RMA processes do not interact well with tikanga Māori.
To conclude, this thesis recommends that the power to self-determine and control the papakāinga process be given to hapū, that the land eligible for papakāinga be expanded, and that workshops for Māori landowners be established to collaborate on how their land should be used. These recommendations are made to ensure that the Treaty of Waitangi is upheld and that Māori are acknowledged properly as the rangatira of Aotearoa.