About the Framework
Ngākau Arataki
Ngākau Arataki is a Compassionate Framework designed as a guide to enable you to connect with services and resources that align with your self-assessment. The name of the framework come from the ideas of working with compassion, we have used this name to inidicate that this framework is designed to guide you in a compassionate way. Each tile of the Framework works in all directions to provide a holistic approach to achieving your optimal sense of wellbeing, working with your strengths to help you move towards your goals. The Framework includes layers that explore personal, community, and environmental needs across the lifespan. You may choose to explore your thoughts and ideas about each section using the reflection pages which you can access on this website or in the companion journal provided with the Nuku Mawana Rahi box set. The reflection pages help you to connect to the ideas within each part of the Framework. You can draw, colour or list what comes to mind or heart during your engagement with each section.
Nuku Manawa Rahi is a self-assessment tool that aims to help you think or talk about how you are getting on, and what your health and wellbeing aspirations are for the future. The name, Nuku Manawa Rahi, comes from a kōrero about the big-hearted turtle. Honu Manawa Rahi can be used to describe a person who has the endurance and perseverance of a turtle who traverses the ocean on a long journey. An ocean journey can be likened to our life journey; it is full of ebbs and flows, currents and turmoil, storms and calmness. Quality of life depends upon our resilience to manage the challenges that come along with ageing, some things we can control and some we cannot. This tool helps you to
talk about how you are moving through the ageing journey, and to think about what you can do to maintain and build your quality of life. This may include personal enjoyment, community, culture and whānau.
This tool is based on Māori health and wellbeing models and evidence-based health assessment tools that are used throughout the world. It is designed as a self-measurement tool that can guide or assist you with communicating health and wellbeing needs with people that care for you, or that you care for, or groups within your community. It is used in conjunction with the Ngākau Arataki to guide the connection with services and resources that align with your self-assessment.
The online version is a 15 question quiz, which provides you with a quick way to find out how you measure up. Your scores, does not mean you have better or worse than someone else, it just means that at the point in time when you take the quiz you are feeling more like one of the picture in the Nuku Manawa Rahi rākau scale.
The Nuku Manawa Rahi box set board has been designed to represent the a journey through the natural environment. The spark of mauri (life essence) carried on the neck of the turtle is passed onto people interacting with the board. It is a taonga to hold during the journey of personal discovery and understanding as you consider life and ageing. We have woven together aspects of game, fun, and play, with health assessment and mātauranga Māori to enhance the experience of engaging in self, whānau and community kōrero about ageing and end of life. There are currently limited box sets in print available however if you would like one, please contact us via the contacts page.
Each score whether it be from the online version or box set of Nuku Manawa Rahi relates to a picture on the rākau scale, linked to notions of mauri moe, mauri oho and mauri ora.
The lower the score (15-20), the closer you may be feeling to the kaumātua on the left representing mauri moe. The kaumātua on the left has a low life force energy, and may be feeling alone, having difficulty participating in activities which could be for many reasons, and may not be well connected to their community or whānau, or culture.
Middle scores (21-35) show a balanced life that is closer to mauri oho. This means that there is a desire to interact and participate. The kaumātua in the middle is connected to some whānau and is not alone. There is sense of being able to participate and being as active as possible.
The highest scores (36-45) show the kaumātua in a state of mauri ora, that is living life to the full potential, being active in the community, the environment, culture and community, as much as they would like. This kaumātua may also need to move to the middle score at times to ensure that they are recharging their life energy and do not get worn out.
The score helps you to see where you might need support or need to access some services. It assists you to see how you are measuring up as you age and enabling insight into your own personal ageing journey.
Our community research collaborators have provided the collective insights needed to produce this tool and have provided feedback throughout the design and development. More information on the Keteparaha research methodology can be found on the our journey page.