A new study of the effects of the Canterbury earthquakes will look at how Maori mental health patients and their whanau and support networks responded throughout the disasters.
Lincoln University researcher Simon Lambert is doing the research, which is funded by Nga Pae o Te Maramatanga - the Centre of Research Excellence.
Dr Lambert says many Maori want the stories of their survival recorded, and those stories could offer a unique perspective for future disaster-response planning.
He says it's important to understand how Maori fare during such disasters, as more and more of the population moves into towns and cities.
Dr Lambert says marae and whanau are fundamental to how Maori survive disasters, and a lot of Pakeha New Zealanders can draw lessons from that.