How to Structure an Essay on the Impact of Colonisation on Health in Aotearoa
In short: A high-scoring essay on colonisation and health in Aotearoa picks one focused health topic, links determinants of health to Māori and Pasifika outcomes, and tests health policy against the five Treaty principles identified by the Waitangi Tribunal in its Hauora report. It ends with evidence-based recommendations. Plan the argument first, then write each section so it answers one rubric criterion.
For a worked extract on cardiovascular disease, see our colonisation and health essay sample, which is for reference only. The assessment wording sits on our MHSC8.002 Assessment 2 question page.
Want a second opinion on your outline? Our nursing and health assignment help page shows how to share your brief.
What the assessment is really testing
This type of postgraduate health science essay (around 4,000 to 4,500 words) usually asks you to analyse determinants of health, critically evaluate Te Tiriti o Waitangi in the health system and use evidence to recommend change. Markers typically score four things: the depth of your knowledge base, how well you synthesise sources, evidence of evaluation and academic writing, including APA 7th. Writing a descriptive history of colonisation without connecting it to a health topic and a policy is the most common way to lose marks.
| Rubric area | What strong work does | What weak work does |
|---|---|---|
| Research knowledge base | Uses current, credible, Aotearoa-specific sources, including Māori authors | Relies on general or outdated sources |
| Synthesis and analysis | Connects determinants, outcomes and policy in one argument | Lists facts topic by topic |
| Evaluation | Tests policy against Treaty principles and names gaps | Describes policy without judging it |
| Academic writing | Clear flow, accurate APA 7th, no bullet points | Loose structure and formatting errors |
Step-by-step essay plan
- Choose a narrow health topic. Cardiovascular disease, diabetes, rheumatic fever or mental health all work, as long as you can find Māori and Pasifika data and a current national strategy.
- Write a one-sentence argument. For example: inequities in your chosen condition reflect historic and current Treaty breaches in how the health system is designed and funded.
- Outline the historical context briefly. Focus on how land loss, economic exclusion and institutional racism changed determinants of health, not on a full history lesson.
- Present current health status for all populations. Compare Māori, Pasifika and other groups using national data, and explain what the gaps mean.
- Analyse determinants. Move from social and economic determinants to racism and access to care, and show how each affects outcomes for your topic.
- Review policies and strategies. Choose the main national and local plans related to your topic and say what each aims to do.
- Evaluate against the five Treaty principles. Use tino rangatiratanga, equity, active protection, options and partnership as a framework and give a verdict for each.
- Bring in Kaupapa Māori and cultural safety. Show where Māori-led approaches have been used or are missing and what cultural safety would require in practice.
- Finish with recommendations. Each one should link to evidence, a principle and a specific actor, such as a funder, a provider or a policy agency.
How to evaluate the Treaty principles well
Do not simply define the five principles and move on. For each one, ask a question that your topic can answer. Tino rangatiratanga asks who holds decision-making power. Equity asks whether outcomes are closing. Active protection asks whether the Crown acts to prevent foreseeable harm. Options asks whether Māori can choose kaupapa Māori services. Partnership asks whether Māori shape strategy from the start. Then compare policy statements with what actually happens in practice, since this gap is where evaluation marks are earned.
Using your own practice context
The brief encourages reflection on your own health practice setting. Use it briefly and analytically, for instance to show how a policy plays out in a clinic or community, then connect the observation back to published evidence. Avoid long personal narrative.
Writing the introduction and conclusion
Your introduction should do four jobs in a few short paragraphs: name the health topic, state why colonisation matters to it, preview your argument and outline how the essay is organised. Avoid long background about colonisation, because the main body will carry that analysis. The conclusion should not introduce new evidence. Instead, restate your answer, draw together the findings on determinants, policy and Treaty principles, and finish with the most important recommendation and the reason it matters for Māori health equity.
Building a source list that markers respect
Aim for a mix of source types. Official health data and strategy documents tell the marker what the system says and measures. Waitangi Tribunal reports give the Treaty framework the brief expects you to use. Peer-reviewed articles supply evidence on determinants, racism, access and cultural safety. Work by Māori and Pacific researchers should be visible, not only as a token citation but in the way your argument is built. Check publication dates, prefer recent editions of data, and keep a running reference list in APA 7th as you write so that nothing is missing at submission.
A sensible timeline for draft and final
If your course has a draft deadline, treat it as a real checkpoint. Spend the first days choosing the topic and collecting sources, then draft the determinants and policy sections, which carry most of the analytical weight. Write the Treaty evaluation next, then Kaupapa Māori approaches and recommendations. Leave time to read the whole draft aloud, check that each paragraph answers the question and trim any section that is descriptive only. After receiving feedback, revise the weakest rubric area first rather than polishing sentences throughout.
Keeping the argument critical, not just informative
After each paragraph of evidence, ask what the evidence means for the Treaty framework and for the people affected. If you cannot answer that question in a sentence, the paragraph is probably descriptive. It also helps to acknowledge competing explanations, such as differences in service access or data quality, and then explain why the structural explanation remains the stronger one. Naming limits in the evidence, for example where ethnicity data are incomplete or where Pasifika data are less detailed, shows the evaluative judgement the rubric rewards.
Mark-maximising checklist
- One clear health topic, named in the introduction.
- Māori and Pasifika outcomes both addressed with data.
- All five Treaty principles evaluated, not just listed.
- At least one Kaupapa Māori or culturally safe practice discussed critically.
- Recommendations that follow from your analysis.
- Correct macrons for te reo Māori terms, such as Māori, Aotearoa and Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
- Flowing paragraphs and sub-headings, with no bullet points inside the essay itself.
- APA 7th in-text citations matched to a full reference list.
Common mistakes to avoid
Describing instead of evaluating
Summarising a policy earns little. Judge whether it meets Treaty principles and say why.
Treating inequity as a lifestyle issue
Framing outcomes as individual choices ignores determinants and colonisation. Keep the structural explanation central.
Ignoring Pasifika evidence
The brief asks about Māori and Pasifika. Use Pacific-specific sources and avoid assuming findings apply equally to both groups.
Weak or outdated sources
Use recent government data, peer-reviewed research and Waitangi Tribunal reports, and check that each claim has a source.
Misusing te reo Māori
Check spelling, macrons and meaning. When unsure, use an authoritative source or ask a lecturer.
Frequently asked questions
Which health topic is easiest to write about?
Pick one with plentiful Aotearoa data and a clear national strategy. Cardiovascular disease and diabetes are common choices because outcomes data and policy documents are easy to find.
Can I use sub-headings?
Yes. Sub-headings help the marker follow your structure, but the content beneath them must stay in full paragraphs rather than lists.
How many sources do I need?
Check your course guidance. For a postgraduate essay of this length, aim for a broad base of recent peer-reviewed and official sources, including Māori authors.
Do I need to include a draft?
If your course has a draft deadline, submit a complete enough version to receive useful feedback, and then act on it before the final submission.
Can I use generative AI?
Follow your institution’s published rules. Where AI is allowed for brainstorming, the final writing must be your own and any use must be acknowledged as required.
How do I show critical thinking without a long word count?
State a claim, give evidence, then add one sentence on what the evidence means for Māori health and for the Treaty. Repeat this pattern in each paragraph.
Ready to plan your own essay? Share your brief and read what students say on our reviews page. You can also look at our research paper writing service for longer pieces.
About the expert
Guidance reviewed by Daniel Carter, Evidence-Based Practice & Nursing Care Planning Specialist (Massey University, as shown on his profile).
