COVID-19 has proved challenging for the play, active recreation and sport sector and heightened the existence of inequities for Māori within our system.

To help address this, Sport New Zealand Ihi Aotearoa has created a COVID-19 Kaupapa Māori Response Plan as part of our $265m COVID-19 recovery investment programme.

The COVID-19 Kaupapa Māori Response Plan, unveiled today, contains four main kaupapa (initiatives) that will enable the exploration of new relationships with Māori as well as the strengthening of current partnerships.

The Plan is grounded in a unique, holistic, Te Ao Māori approach that focuses on culturally distinctive pathways to enable Māori to succeed as Māori through play, active recreation and sport.

This is the first time Sport New Zealand will have a direct mechanism to engage whānau, hapū, iwi, Māori to build meaningful relationships in these communities.

The plan currently has four kaupapa Māori (initiatives):

• Māori National Sport Organisations - enabling the network to continue their valued contribution to our sector. The intention of the fund is to support the re-engagement of their respective memberships, remove some of the barriers to participation, enable their unique way of being, survive the current social and economic conditions and acknowledge their contribution to the sport and recreation sector for over 100 years.
• He Oranga Poutama Programme – supporting Māori wellbeing by improving participation and increasing leadership through physical activity. Increased funding will enable a nationwide approach and focus on Māori communities that need it the most.
• MaraeFit Aotearoa – this is a new Marae-centric digital tool designed to increase Māori participation and create more opportunities for whānau to connect with their marae and community through physical activity.
• Te Ihi Fund - an activation fund to increase Māori participation by supporting existing culturally distinctive organisations and channels.

An investment of $7m will support the implementation of this initiative which ultimately seeks to empower Māori communities to improve their wellbeing through Te Ao Māori and Mātauranga Māori approaches.