The Meihana Model [44], first developed in 2007, and then updated in 2014 and 2017. It builds on Te Whare Tapa Whā, presenting the original four components (tinana, hinengaro, wairua, whānau), as aku on a waka hourua (doublehull canoe), and further includes the components of Taiao and Ratonga Hauora.
Taiao - relates to the physical environment in which the young person lives and the opportunities that surround them within this immediate physical environment. A young person’s living conditions can have a significant impact on their health and wellbeing, both positive and negative.
Ratonga Hauora – refers to the services that the young person has had interaction with, may have future interactions with, or noting services that the young person was entitled to but has not had access to (e.g. cognitive assessment).
The impacts of colonisation on indigenous health and wellbeing should always be considered in any interactions. The Meihana Model therefore highlights imperative areas of exploration, which are captured through Ngā Hau e Whā and Ngā Roma Moana.
‘Ngā Hau e Whā’ in te ao Māori refers to four winds. In this analogy, these winds impact the journey of the waka hourua to hauora (wellbeing). The four winds signify historical and societal influences on Māori as the indigenous peoples of Aotearoa/ New Zealand, being: colonisation, racism, migration and marginalisation.
