Aotearoa’s first dedicated Māori resources on assisted dying have been launched, offering whānau culturally grounded tools to understand the End of Life Choice Act (2019) and the realities of assisted dying in Aotearoa New Zealand.
The suite of tools were developed by Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland Senior Lecturer Dr Tess Moeke Maxwell (Ngāi Tai, Ngāti Porou) and the Te Ārai Palliative Care and End of Life Research Group. It includes two graphic novels, 18 short films, details information, and new website named Pou Kāpura. The name referring to the flame held by whānau as they navigate a darkened pathway.
A blessing and launch for the resources took place on 2 March at Waipapa marae at the University, led by Dr Moeke Maxwell and Professor Linda Nikora (Tūhoe, Te Aitanga-a-Hauiti). The event marked the first time many in attendance had encountered information about assisted dying.
A tapu kaupapa, and a research journey guided by whānau
Moeke Maxwell says the project began from a place of deep personal and cultural responsibility.
“Our whānau have always assisted each other in dying, but the End of Life Choice Act introduces an entirely different, legally regulated way to die. Even though I did not vote for the Act, once it became law I realised some of our whānau would want to choose it—or consider choosing it—and they needed clear, culturally safe information to make a genuinely informed decision.”
Motivated by whānau members navigating terminal illness, she felt compelled to understand assisted dying from a Māori perspective. Recruitment for the research was challenging due to the topic’s tapu nature, with some kaumātua choosing not to engage.
“This kaupapa is tino tapu (very sacred). I have so much gratitude for the whānau and Māori communities who trusted us with their stories,” she says.
The project ultimately exceeded its recruitment goals, Moeke-Maxwell completing over 60 interviews that involved more than 100 participants, including:
- Māori whānau who completed the assisted dying process
- whānau who considered it but chose not to use the procedure
- individuals who applied and were declined
- terminally ill participants who knew they did not want an assisted death
- support workers including hospice staff, kaumātua, tohunga, palliative care specialists, chaplains, funeral directors, assisted dying attending medical practitioners and SCENZ members.
What whānau need to know
Many participants were navigating the End of Life Choice Act in its earliest years. The research highlights a range of complexities, including:
- the requirement that applicants be within six months of life expectancy
- the need to be experiencing unbearable suffering
- the strict assessment process involving two independent doctors
- the inability of health workers to initiate conversations—the patient must ask first
- stigma, privacy, and differing tribal, religious and familial views
- the emotional burden placed on whānau supporting someone through the process.
Moeke Maxwell conceptualised a new framework—Kaitiakitikanga for Assisted Dying—to reflect the role whānau step into as protectors, guardians and carriers of emotional and spiritual responsibilities.
“Whānau want to uphold the mana of their loved one. Their own feelings often have to be put aside. It’s complex, highly emotional and very new territory.”
Creative, accessible tools for Māori communities
To ensure the research does not remain “locked in academic spaces,” the team created resources designed specifically for whānau.
These include:
- Two graphic novel books illustrated and designed by award winning artist Dr Tatiana Tavares, Dr Lisa Williams and the creative team, depicting real life scenarios and whānau journeys
- Eighteen short films by renowned filmmaker Eddie Mariott, featuring interviews about hospice, palliative care, assisted dying, bereavement, tikanga and healing
- Te Oro Ngākau Nui, a discussion-based reflection tool allowing individuals and whānau to explore their comfort levels and views about assisted dying
- The bilingual, whānau-centred website Pou Kāpura, providing the “good, the bad, and the ugly”—full transparency to enable genuine informed decision-making.
Professor Nikora, named investigator on the project, emphasised the value of culturally resonant information:
“These resources offer whānau a safe way to engage with a very sensitive kaupapa. They allow Māori to consider assisted dying within our own values and wairua.”
A new beginning for open, safe kōrero
For many at the Waipapa marae launch, it was their first exposure to the realities of assisted dying. Dr Moeke Maxwell says the moment affirmed the need for these tools:
“Our whānau are very private about assisted dying. Many are hearing about it properly for the first time. My hope is that these resources will help whānau have friendly, safe conversations—so they can weigh up the pros and cons and support one another, whatever decisions they make.”
The Pou Kāpura website and resources are now available to support whānau, communities and health practitioners across Aotearoa.
