Stronger Together: The Healthy Families NZ Kāhui Māori Wānanga

Some knowledge can't travel in documents. It has to move between people - rae ki te rae, face to face, weaving itself into how we are and how we show up for one another.   

Last month, members of the Healthy Families NZ kāhui Māori gathered in Te Tai Tokerau for the first time. Welcomed by Ngāti Rēhia at Whitiora Marae in Te Tii, and spending one day at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, the three-day wānanga brought together the Rautaki Māori from Te Tai Tokerau in the north to Murihiku in the south.

Grounded in the understanding of mātauranga Māori as the heart of how communities live and stay well, the kāhui explored ways to work in collaboration, to deepen and extend kaupapa and practices across the Healthy Families NZ movement. Healthy Families East Cape Rautaki Māori, Jade Kameta (Ngāti Pikiao, Ngāti Whakaue, Te Whakatōhea, Te Whānau-ā-Apanui, Ngāti Porou) explains.

"Mātauranga Māori is an Indigenous system of knowledge and practice that recognises health and wellbeing are shaped by our connections to whānau, whakapapa, ahurea, tuakiritanga, taiao and our collective responsibilities as Māori.

It offers a holistic way of understanding wellbeing, where people, communities, and the environment are interconnected. For generations these knowledge systems have guided how we prevent harm, strengthen resilience, and create the conditions for whānau and communities to thrive."

Mātauranga Māori lives in communities, in the relationships and practices that have sustained Māori health and wellbeing across generations. The mahi starts from this point, following the lead of the people and places that hold that knowledge. Rautaki Māori for Healthy Families Waitākere, Priscilla TuiSamoa (Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Ruanui), continues.

“For us, the work always begins with our hapori. By building genuine relationships, we can better understand what matters most to them and what will support their health and wellbeing.”

"Given that we're 10 locations from Te Tai Tokerau all the way to Invercargill, it's easy to become isolated in this mahi," said Mike Tipene (Te Rarawa, Ngāpuhi), manager of Healthy Families Far North, which hosted the gathering.

From the wānanga the kāhui is working on a shared framework - Te Rawenga - to demonstrate and evidence collective action drawn from Māori systems thinking.

Over the coming year, Te Rawenga will shape how the kāhui works across locations: deepening leadership, coordinating mahi, and growing the contribution of mātauranga Māori so everyone can lead long, healthy and happy lives.