DISCUSSION

In Aotearoa NZ, the Waitangi Tribunal examines Māori claims on Te Tiriti o Waitangi breaches by the Crown, with its recommendations often contributing to settlements that support cultural revitalization (Waitangi Tribunal, 2015). Drawing on this broader socio-cultural political context, the following discussion critically examines the review’s findings to assess the scope and thematic focus of scholarship on Māori SFD programs in Aotearoa NZ. The literature converges on three themes: cultural revitalization and identity, challenges and barriers, and holistic wellbeing and community engagement. Within a KMT framework, whakapapa and tino rangatiratanga connect cultural revitalization, identity, and sport participation, critically positioning sport as a site to express and reaffirm Māori identity.

Simultaneously, the literature highlights how the enduring impacts of colonization continuously reproduce barriers through structural inequities and culturally misaligned SFD practices. Within this context, holistic wellbeing and community engagement emerge as a collective commitment informed by manaakitanga and whanaungatanga, framing sport as a potential pathway for strengthening hauora. Cultural revitalization is positioned as a protective mechanism with programs that center Māori values and reaffirm identity foundations that enhance retention, resilience and agency within sport environments (Brown, 2013; Manuel, 2015; Nelson et al., 2023). Taken together, these themes show that effective SFD initiatives are underpinned by Indigenous principles and Māori-led governance systems. Therefore, understanding the evidence on SFD is essential for shaping culturally grounded policy and practice. It illuminates both the challenges and successes associated with SFD program development while identifying potential gaps for future researchers to address. The extant evidence illustrates the role of sport and tāonga tākaro in promoting hauora Māori, cultural identity, and social change, emphasizing the importance of culturally relevant education and community engagement. Future research should expand database coverage or Māori-specific repositories, to capture a more comprehensive body of literature – a limitation of the present study.

Cultural Revitalization and Identity

Interpreted through KMT, sport functions as a relational site through which Māori identity is celebrated, expressed and protected. Literature consistently demonstrates that identity formation is grounded in whakapapa, challenging dominant SFD approaches that treat culture as a leaver for individual behavioral change. Instead, culture emerges as a method for meaningful connection, engagement, identity affirmation and wellbeing (Brown, 2013; Manuel, 2015; Nelson et al., 2023; Whitinui, 2012). Within this framing, ngā tāonga tākaro establishes an immersive pedagogy grounded in Mātauranga Māori (Indigenous knowledge) positioning Te Ao Māori as the foundation of learning and cultural continuity (Brown, 2013; Manuel, 2015).

Contemporary sport settings that embed Māori values such as te reo Māori, whakapapa and tikanga, positions identity as a lived ‘everyday practice’ that can reshape organisational culture and enhance wellbeing (Nelson et al., 2023). In high-performance environments, Māori athletes used their cultural identity as a protective layer against assimilative pressures, using indigenous knowledge and networks to remain grounded while navigating elite-level global sport demands (Erueti & Palmer, 2014; Thorpe et al., 2020).At the community level, participation in sports like cricket and hockey sustains whanaungatanga and whakapapa, reinforcing Māori identity through relational sport practice (Ryan, 2007; Thomas et al., 2024).

Together, these trends indicate a shift from the inclusion of indigenous culture in SFD towards approaches that ground sport in Indigenous knowledge and relationships (Whitinui, 2021). When considered across these contexts, the diversity of mechanisms is shown to converge toward a shared outcome. Culturally immersive approaches such as ngā tāonga tākaro prioritize cultural transmission and pedagogy, while such approaches also embed Māori values into PARS to reshape existing norms and decision-making processes.

Both pathways can influence identity, retention and resilience, provided that Māori values are authentic, not tokenistic, enacted in tikanga, te reo and whakapapa along with rangatiratanga across programme design and delivery (Brown, 2013; Manuel, 2015; Nelson et al., 2023). Overall, the evidence indicates a decisive shift in the SFD field from the inclusion of indigenous culture within programs towards the grounding of sport in Indigenous knowledge and relationships (Whitinui, 2021). This reframing positions identity as a collective, place-based practice deeply embedded in culture. For SFD, this signals a cultural revitalization that is not ancillary to development outcomes, but central to their production, with sport (PARS) serving as the vehicle for language revival, belonging, authority and cultural continuity, extending beyond the individual behavior change paradigm alone.

Challenges and barriers

Through a KMT lens, barriers were understood as structural, systematic power relations requiring a return of rangatiratanga (self-determination) and institutional commitment to Te Tiriti Waitangi. The evidence is clear in terms of systemic funding inequities, governance and policy development that centers westernized norms, while marginalizing Māori voices and enabling institutional racism (Erueti & Palmer, 2014; Palmer et al., 2023; Thorpe et al., 2020). This theme manifested across contexts. In high performance sport, identity pressures and assimilative demands marginalized te reo Māori, tikanga Māori and decision-making, requiring athletes to assert identity strategically while drawing on Indigenous support systems (Erueti & Palmer, 2014; Thorpe et al., 2020). Women’s and youth sport participation and retention can be theorized as outcomes of layered vulnerabilities through a dynamic intersection of intrapersonal, interpersonal, and structural influences (McCausland-Durie, 2007; Thorpe et al., 2020).

Organizational, commitments to Te Tiriti o Waitangi were frequently inconsistent or are merely symbolic when not accompanied by power-sharing, resources and accountability, with practitioners and scholars emphasizing the need for co-governance and Māori-led design (Hapeta et al., 2019; Palmer et al., 2023). In professional practice, Māori fitness professionals apply Mātauranga Māori to close gaps between performance and wellbeing and challenge racism in everyday settings (Muriwai et al., 2023). A persistent gap was evident between discourses of inclusion and meaningful structural change. Without equitable resourcing for Māori-led design, delivery and evaluation, SFD programs risk reinforcing the inequities it aims to address.

Furthermore, significant gaps revealed Indigenous women remain underrepresented in high-performance sport scholarship and gendered power dynamics receives insufficient analysis (Thorpe et al., 2020). These gaps matter for policy and practice because they determine whose experiences inform decision-making, whose knowledge is recognized, and how success is defined. What this theme claims about the SFD field is that effective programming is inseparable from constitutional and organisational reform. Programs that embed tino rangatiratanga are better positioned to foster identity and wellbeing for Māori, whereas initiatives grounded in symbolic inclusion struggle in generating sustained impact (Hapeta et al., 2019; Palmer et al., 2023). The barriers are understood as systemic rather community-based, requiring shifts towards power and accountability beyond programme design alone.

Holistic Wellbeing and Community Engagement

Health enhancement and community-centered practice are interpreted through manaakitanga and kaitiakitanga, emphasizing reciprocal care and guardianship positioning hauora as relational and collective. Extant scholarship reframes success from participation or performance indicators to community wellbeing, cultural sustainability and Māori data sovereignty as outcomes that underpin long-term engagement (Brown, 2013; Manuel, 2015; Muriwai et al., 2023). Across diverse contexts, Māori exercise professionals utilize Mātauranga Māori to connect athletic performance with hauora, displaying how tikanga and cultural practice enhance community wellbeing (Muriwai et al., 2023). Cultural sport programs such as ngā tāonga tākaro are presented as transformative interventions for health, where learning is embedded within te reo, tikanga Māori and whakapapa (Brown, 2013; Manuel, 2015; Reweti & Severinsen, 2022). Māori values woven into team, organisational and program design strengthen identity and wellbeing and cultural sustainability. This includes the adaptation of colonial sports, like hockey and cricket, which attempt to reconnect participation with whakapapa (Ryan, 2007; Nelson et al., 2023; Thomas et al., 2024). Across youth development and health promotion, KMT consistently uplifts Indigenous knowledge visibility and voices, strengthening cultural relevance and impact (Hapeta et al., 2019; Hiha, 2016; Mane, 2009; Reweti, 2023).

Two recurring patterns emerged; first sport is not a neutral domain. Without meaningful incorporation of rangatiratanga, tikanga, and identity, it sustains colonial power structures even while claiming inclusive aspirations (Erueti & Palmer, 2014; Thorpe et al., 2020). Second, the literature identifies a gap whereby conventional SFD metrics, focused on participation numbers and short-term performance outcomes, fail to capture what indicators matter most to Māori communities, including identity, language, whānau-centered wellbeing, and community control over knowledge (Brown, 2013; Manuel, 2015; Muriwai et al., 2023). Studies that center manaakitanga and kaitiakitanga demonstrate stronger alignment between program intentions and Māori conceptions of success. This points to a wider shift in the field, reframing SFD as a technical intervention towards a relational, culturally grounded approach that centers tino rangatiratanga. Lasting impact is generated through relationships; Te Tiriti partnerships built on co-design and delivery along with monitoring and evaluation by, with and for Māori communities (Hapeta et al., 2019; Palmer et al., 2023). From this perspective, sport can be a platform for cultural expression and collective wellbeing when Māori holds authority and accountability.

Strengths

A major strength of this review is its epistemological coherence. The integration of KMT and the NPW analytical lens strengthened its cultural relevance which positions a ‘te ao Māori’ worldview as the foundation for guiding interpretation. The use of two reviewers at key stages strengthens credibility and reliability, while the structured ‘hybrid’ thematic analysis enhances clarity. The review moves beyond descriptive mapping by offering interpretive synthesis embedded in Māori concepts such as whakapapa, whanaungatanga, manaakitanga, and rangatiratanga. This culturally responsive approach encourages greater understanding of how sport functions as a cultural, relational and political site, rather than an intervention mechanism. Focusing specifically on Māori in Aotearoa NZ provides critical contextual depth, supporting Tiriti-based analysis and interrogation of colonization, governance and systemic inequities that may be less visible in wider SFD literature.

Limitations

Several limitations need acknowledgment. The dominance of qualitative research reflects the current state of Māori-centered SFD scholarship while limiting comparison through conventional effectiveness metrics. However, this limitation also reveals a deeper epistemological tension, as dominant quantitative paradigms routinely marginalize outcomes that represent Māori-defined outcomes including identity security, cultural continuity and whānau wellbeing. Additionally, the review draws on three major academic databases in Scopus, SocINDEX and SPORTDiscus. While appropriate for sport and social science research, this strategy may have excluded Māori-led scholarship produced through iwi, kaupapa Māori journals, and other Indigenous community repositories that sit outside the scope of indexed mainstream databases. This limitation reveals structural exclusions within academic practices, rather than gaps in mātauranga Māori. Finally, the specific focus on Māori in Aotearoa NZ limits broader generalization across global Indigenous contexts, this focus could also be argued as a methodological strength as it resists harmful pan-Indigenous generalizations and centers place-based, analysis informed by Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

Gaps in Literature

This review reinforces the significant role sport plays in nurturing cultural revitalization, strengthening identity and enhancing hauora for Māori. These outcomes are mostly evident within Māori-led initiatives that embed whakapapa, whanaungatanga, manaakitanga and tino rangatiratanga. Despite indications across SFD initiatives, evidence of structural inequities and culturally misaligned practices continue to reduce what these programs look to achieve. Future research therefore must go beyond identifying barriers to critically examining the conditions, models and governing systems that enable Māori to thrive. To progress meaningfully, this SFD field must be culturally grounded, adopting approaches that are responsive to the diverse realities across indigenous populations. Several areas of inquiry are essential for strengthening the evidence base. Longitudinal research that captures the impact of whānau-centered initiatives on health outcomes, moving beyond short-term evaluations, which reflect intergenerational or collective benefits. Comparative studies exploring Ngā Tāonga Tākaro, alongside mainstream sport could also help clarify respective contributions to how culturally grounded practices may offer benefits for Māori or other Indigenous communities.

Future exploration of co-governance and (Māori-led) funding models is also required to evaluate how decisions are made along with resource allocation and accountability structures shaping the success of programs and community outcomes. There remains limited evidence regarding effective strategies for engaging Indigenous communities in SFD in ways that uphold cultural values and promote holistic wellbeing. Broadening research on the application of KMT or other Indigenous standpoint theories across various environments is crucial for clarifying how they may contribute to social change and transformation strengthening community connection. Overall, these directions offer a pathway towards a more robust and culturally grounded understanding of how SFD can support Hauora and community engagement for Māori and other Indigenous communities.

Implications

Policy Implications

There are crucial implications for policy that governs SFD initiatives, especially those looking to uphold Te Tiriti o Waitangi and support Māori wellbeing. This requires a paradigm shift from symbolic recognition of Tiriti principles towards decision making that upholds tino rangatiratanga. Embedding NPW analysis across commissioning, co-design, delivery and monitoring would make Māori values more visible. In addition, specify whanaungatanga and manaakitanga processes from whānau engagement to tikanga-based safety. Protect rangatiratanga through co-governance and data-sovereignty. Support kaitiakitanga through place-based design and resourcing. Furthermore, recognize wairuatanga as an aspect of wellbeing where it is culturally grounded. Policy frameworks should mandate co-governance arrangements that enables Māori decision-making authority, rather than limiting Māori involvement to consultation. As the literature indicated, without power-sharing and adequate resourcing, commitments to Te Tiriti o Waitangi risk remaining rhetorical (Palmer et al., 2023). Furthermore, policy must explicitly acknowledge wairuatanga as a valid and culturally grounded dimension of wellbeing, ensuring that hauora Māori are not constrained by narrow biomedical definitions.

Practice Implications

SFD program design with Māori must be underpinned by tikanga, resourcing initiatives that ground whanaungatanga, manaakitanga, kaitiakitanga, and te reo Māori, which moves beyond symbolism. This requires investment in practices that enable whānau engagement, culturally grounded processes, and place-based approaches that are shaped by local histories and environments. Strengthening cultural safety and anti-racism capabilities across SFD workforce, with particular attention to high-performance environments Where power-sharing remains asymmetrical and assimilative norms are entrenched. Practitioners must be supported to critically assess how organisational norms, coaching practices and evaluative frameworks reproduce inequities, to develop competencies that uphold Māori identity language and way of being in everyday practice.

System Implications

At systems level, this review emphasizes the importance of structural change in funding, accountability and knowledge governance. Equitable funding systems are needed that prioritize Māori-defined outcomes including cultural identity, revitalization, and collective wellbeing, rather than privileging participation metrics or short-term performance indicators. This requires aligning Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) reporting requirements with Māori aspirations while ensuring resourcing models do not undermine Māori-led initiatives through excessive administrative demands. Māori data sovereignty must be embedded within M&E frameworks, protecting community rights to govern how data is accessed, interpreted and used.

Finally, long-term investment is required, moving away from short term funding cycles toward multi-year commitments that recognize identity development and wellbeing outcomes (Hapeta et al., 2019). Collectively, these shifts would move the SFD sector beyond descriptive acknowledgement of inequities towards transformational change that supports Māori aspirations and self-determination. Beyond ethical considerations, this is essential to ensure evidence reflects accountability and responsibility to Māori communities. Sustained, long-term investment is important as identity development, cultural revitalization, and wellbeing outcomes unfold over time rather than within short funding cycles (Hapeta et al., 2019). Collectively, these implications move beyond descriptive recognition of inequities toward structural transformation, which is essential if SFD is to support Māori in Aotearoa NZ.