Ngati Porou Surf Life Saving Incorporated: Maori, empowerment, water safety, and surf lifesaving

In this article I will illustrate the strategies and techniques used by Surf Life Saving New Zealand's (SLSNZ) newest affiliate club, Ngati Porou Surf Life Saving (NPSLS), to engage Māori and attract them into the surf lifesaving movement. I will begin by outlining the issue of high drowning rates among people of Māori descent. These rates belie the fact that Maori were once great ocean navigators who traversed vast oceans with inordinate skills, knowledge and expertise. I will then discuss the current Eurocentric culture of the surf lifesaving movement in New Zealand, the origins of this culture and the way it historically ostracised Māori. Lastly, I will look to the future and highlight the opportunity for growth, development and change within the surf lifesaving movement through initiatives such as the formation of NPSLS. In this last section I will discuss some of the strategies and techniques used by NPSLS to encourage Māori and draw them into surf lifesaving.