Pain is subjective and is therefore a complex and diffi cult health issue to address. In-depth understanding is required for improvements to be made in how it is managed. Research suggests that culture plays a role in pain experiences, but very little such research has been conducted in Aotearoa (New Zealand). Signifi cant health disparities exist between Mäori (the indigenous people) and Päkehä (New Zealanders of European descent), and could also exist in pain experience. We reviewed the sparse, diverse literature on Mäori and pain and found patchy, inconsistent coverage, arising perhaps from the range of methodologies used and types of pain covered, with a distinct gap around chronic pain. Although pain is a signifi cant area of Mäori health, none of the research explored the lived experience of pain from a Mäori perspective. The need for indepth research using a Kaupapa Mäori (Mäori theory) approach to address this under-researched issue is discussed.