Rongoā Māori wānanga was delivered by Tupuna Remedies and Native Arts Aotearoa, whose kaupapa is grounded in mātauranga Māori, traditional healing, and cultural revitalisation. Their expertise and leadership shaped a powerful 2 days of learning, healing practices, and reconnection with te taiao and our ancestral knowledge.
It was also about building the capacity of healers and practitioners, and opening our minds to the many forms that rongoā can take —
- Laughter
- Whanaungatanga
- Katakata
- Hugs
- Tamanui-te-Rā
- the moana
- and the natural elements that restore us.
We explored the deep relationship between taonga pūoro and rongoā Māori, including the kōrero of Hine Pū te Hue, the pūrākau that guides us, and the healing power of sound and vibration. This is taonga tuku iho in practice — remembering, activating, and strengthening what has been handed down to us.
The kaupapa encouraged us to be kaitiaki, to move our bodies through mau rākau for wellbeing, and to step into spaces of being uncomfortable, unlearning, and re-learning. It was a journey of reclaiming, succession, remembering, and honouring tikanga as we continue to grow our collective knowledge and practice of rongoā.
Te Tai o Awatea is proud to support this kaupapa, helping create space for whānau and community across Te Tauihu to engage in meaningful wānanga that uplift wellbeing, identity, and cultural grounding.
