PĀNUI
NEWS
INDIGENOUS PUBLIC HEALTH SYMPOSIUM
(Hāpai te Houora 2024)
26-28 / 11 / 2024
The He Waka Tapu Marketing and Communications team attended a two-day conference in Wellington focused on Māori public health, expanding our understanding of health within Māori and indegenous communities in aotearoa and around the world. The speakers emphasised that māori health acknowledges a holistic perspective, merging whakapapa, taiao, kai, and artistic expression into a collective, holistic model of health and welfare.
Oranga Tangata, Oranga Whenua.
This approach reinforces the idea that Māori are "not a problem to be solved, but rather hold the knowledge to a collective solution". By fostering self-belief in their value, individuals can claim their intrinsic rights to health. To improve health outcomes for our whaiora, we must build trust within the community and empower individuals to define their own paths.
A key message from the conference stressed that self-belief, hope, and the inherent right to health are essential components of mana motuhake. Everyone deserves the joy of growing old, and we should promote a whole-health vision as a holistic journey for our whaiora and mokopuna. All Māori should feel proud of their identity, as this pride generates the power for positive change. He kākano ahau i ruia mai i Rangiātea, I am a seed which was sewn in the heavens of Rangiatea.
Trust is central to health, and the current disillusionment with the system remains a barrier. Emma Rawson-Te Patu highlighted the importance of valuing Māori as the Rangatira of their own health, allowing them to determine what is important to them. What do our whānau value, want or believe is important to health. The Te Whare Tapa Whā framework can benefit everyone, not just Māori. The frameworks are there, but we need to use and believe in them for genuine change to happen. Māmā Heke reinforced that engagement, empowerment, and enlightenment are essential for success. It is through building trust and community that we can unleash the innate potential of tangata whenua.
KAIKŌRERO (SPEAKERS)
Mātauranga Māori empowers healing through identity.
Igniting culture and nurturing healthy lives. Revitalising Māori pūrakau, art, and expression holds the power to heal intergenerational trauma. Māori are storytellers, and through the expression of haka, moko, waiata, and raranga there is powerful healing. Te reo is not just a language, it is an intergenerational transmission of a way of thinking and being, containing 1000s of years of cultural knowledge and memories. Moko goes beyond mere ink; it offers a deep healing process, affirming that each person is a valuable tāonga. The raw mana and identity of Haka allows for connections and expression. It can give voice to stories of wrongdoings and struggles. In this shared experience, there is a space for connection where tāne look out for one another, opening up and sharing stories of their lives that they might not usually express. There is healing in this space, pride in being māori.
The conference inspired us to consider how we can incorporate these insights into our work at He Waka Tapu. By fostering trust and fully embracing mātauranga māori, we can build a more resilient and connected community. Continuing to focus on holistic health and māori frameworks of health enables us to uplift and empower our whānau. The answers to our challenges lie within our community and culture, and we must celebrate and leverage our mātauranga to ensure all Māori feel valued in their health journeys.
