Te Whare Pora a Hine-te-iwaiwa: weaving tradition into the lives of pregnant Mori women, new mothers and babies

Te Whare Pora a Hine-te-iwaiwa (Te Whare Pora), a Maori (Indigenous peoples of Aotearoa (New Zealand)) approach to the prevention of sudden infant death, posits that immersion in traditional knowledge and the weaving of the wahakura (woven flax bassinet) as a safe infant sleep space boosts the resilience of pregnant wahine Maori (Maori women) and the post-neonatal safety of their infants. Our data are drawn from the observations, conversations and 24 months field-work of an embedded researcher, and formal interviews with 15 pregnant Maori women, their weaving tutor and six kuia (female elders). A rich description of the womens' experiences demonstrates that Te Whare Pora bolsters the capability of those involved to stand tall in mana wahine (status as Maori women). This reclaiming of the antenatal period and decolonisation of antenatal care demonstrates that the wahakura belongs within a Maori world, where health outcomes are achieved through Maori being Maori.