ABSTRACT

In 2010 and 2011 the Canterbury earthquakes prompted expressions of mahi aroha – work done by Māori (Indigenous peoples of Aotearoa New Zealand) out of a love for the people – in the emergency context of a natural disaster. Similarly, the Covid-19 level 4 lockdown that began in the last week of March 2020 showcased Māori caring for one another in the context of a pandemic. Whether people were paid or unpaid, out in their communities as essential workers or broadcasting via the internet from their living rooms and kitchens, Māori around the country engaged in mahi aroha. While celebrating the capacity of Māori to move swiftly and effectively to care for others, the past two decades have seen an overall decline in the time Māori have been able to devote to mahi aroha, particularly voluntary work. It is proposed here the decline in Māori home ownership and access to secure, affordable housing is a key challenge to Māori capacity for mahi aroha. It is therefore timely to consider Māori responsiveness during times of crisis and how access to housing might help ensure that this capacity continues into the future.

摘要

2010 年和 2011 年坎特伯雷地震引发了 mahi aroha（毛利人（新西兰 Aotearoa 土著人民）出于对人民的热爱所做的工作）在自然灾害的紧急情况下的表达。同样，从 2020 年 3 月的最后一周开始的 Covid-19 4 级封锁展示了毛利人在大流行的背景下相互关心。无论人们是有偿还是无偿，作为基本工人在社区中工作，还是在起居室和厨房通过互联网广播，全国各地的毛利人都在参与 mahi aroha。在庆祝毛利人迅速有效地照顾他人的能力的同时，过去二十年毛利人能够致力于 mahi aroha，特别是志愿工作的时间总体下降。在此提出，毛利人的房屋所有权和获得安全、负担得起的住房的减少是毛利人对 mahi aroha 能力的主要挑战。因此，及时考虑毛利人在危机时期的反应能力以及获得住房如何有助于确保这种能力在未来继续发挥作用。