Light, air, water: A celebration of Māori poetry in lockdown

As we emerged, blinking, from the first lockdown, essa may ranapiri said they might write a response to the wonderful poetry published by Māori writers over that strange time. They did not want the work “dumped in the world and forgotten” – they wanted it seen, held high, lit up. Here is that piece.  He … Read more

NZ’s suicide rates are dismal. ‘Zero Suicide Aotearoa’ is looking to change that

Since the late 1990s, suicide rates among young men in New Zealand have increased by almost 50%. ‘Zero Suicide Aotearoa’, the latest report from a cross-party mental health group, is looking to address these dismal suicide rates.  After New Zealand placed 35th out of 41 OECD countries for our child wellbeing in the Unicef 2020 … Read more

Life after near-death: How Rob Mokaraka uses his painful story to help others heal

With his play Shot Bro: Confessions of a Depressed Bullet, actor Rob Mokaraka has been helping people from all over New Zealand to open up about mental health struggles. A new documentary explores his journey. Content warning: This story contains descriptions of suicide, violence and abuse, which may be triggering to survivors. In late July, … Read more

Under the Korowai: new approaches to Māori mental health

The Spinoff is proud to present the latest in our Frame documentary series produced by Wrestler and funded by NZ on Air. Under The Korowai looks at Te Whare Marie, a kaupapa Māori mental service provider that is combining tohunga-led cultural therapy and clinical methods to help young Māori understand, rather than fear, their gifts.  … Read more