Autoperformance ethnography as an act of movement from trauma and loss to memory and redress in chilean victims of the pinochet regime

Whanaungatanga means connecting, establishing one’s identity in relation to others, a process of finding common ground. It provides grounding, safety, and reassurance. It is like breathing; the need to connect with people and to understand where they come from, what their history is, who their connections are, and how they function in the world. Whanaungatanga takes persons and locate them within a vast network of bodies, histories, mythologies, technologies, and vision. It demands authenticity, transparency, and vulnerability. For Maori, living a life or having an encounter of any kind that does not include the process of whanaungatanga is perilous. The author worked preferentially with Maori communities and those who have experienced mental illness and trauma. His research approaches are strongly informed by the principles of interdependency, self-determination, and community ownership of research knowledge, with a focus on face-to-face interactions and the primacy of the participant and their family. These values are consistent and enmeshed with a Kaupapa Maori methodology.