Indigenous Maori perspectives of smokefree parks

Objective: This study aims to understand the context of place associated with smoking in urban Hamilton parks from a Te Ao Maori perspective (the worldview of Maori, the Indigenous people of Aotearoa New Zealand). Methods: Our study approached smokefree environments in Hamilton through a Maori lens, undertaking interviews with family groups and people from organisations involved in the local Smokefree environments policy. Results: The majority of the 26 adult participants identified as Maori, with 30% being current smokers. Parks had a place in the sporting memories of participants. Smoking was merged with these memories. Important features of places that influenced smoking behaviours were raised, with signage a key talking point. Conclusions: The colonial construct of parks do not make visible Maori values and historical associations with the land, nor do they set a framework that would promote Maori ways of being and doing, including enacting smokefree spaces and places. Implications for public health: This study provides the incentive to address change in parks and reserve management that would support Maori aspirations for their health and wellbeing associated with ancestral land, and give meaning to smokefree environments.