This study explores how culturally inspired interventions are being used to disrupt the over representation of Māori becoming harmed and entangled in the criminal injustice and child protection systems. The study introduces the concept of 'legislative harm', moreover that exposure to and interaction with legislative processes is inherently harmful to individuals and whānau. Culturally inspired interventions are being used across a number of legislative frameworks to mitigate legislative harm and divert people away from harmful statutory processes and support them towards empowerment and wellbeing. This study examines how culturally inspired interventions are being used in Eastern Bay of Plenty across three distinct environments, New Zealand Police, Oranga Tamariki and the courts, to intervene and divert individuals, tamariki, rangatahi and their whanau away from injurious statutory processes and grievous legislative harm. The study moreover considers the utility of pūrākau as a research methodology to reframe these statutory agencies as metaphorical new age taniwha and thereby awaken fresh insights and possibilities.