Local wai system champion
Lorraine Hall (Ngāti Hūrungaterangi) has always believed that Māori women are great leaders and can achieve anything they set their minds on. She continues to validate this belief as the lead of Puna Ora, the care group tasked with restoring the Waitawa Stream in Rotorua. After her final years at high school, Lorraine made the […]
Local kai system champion
The man behind Rotorua’s kūmara revitalisation is Te Rangikaheke Bidois from Kai Rotorua. He says growing kai, particularly the kūmara, goes back to his whakapapa.
Waikawa rejuvenation
Rejuvenating physical and mental wellbeing, whakawhanaungatanga, and wānanga for whānau is at the fore of the Waikawa Restoration Project. Healthy Families Rotorua systems innovators, Stevee Wikiriwhi and Teteira Ormsby, have joined forces with GNS Science, Bay of Plenty Regional Council, Parakore, Māori Land Court, and iwi to regenerate the geothermal waters of the Rotokawa baths […]
Taonga puoro helping COPD
Taonga puoro (Māori musical instruments) are proving to be effective tools in reducing respiratory issues for Māori men. Rotorua Smokefree Partnership Group reconvened for the year with a presentation to the group from health mentor and taonga puoro advocate, Sam Runga. Sam shared his story on how he could better manage his chronic obstructive pulmonary […]
New sleep survey
Healthy Families Rotorua is seeking Te Arawa perspectives on sleep through a new survey released today. The Te Arawa Sleep strategy is a kaupapa Māori approach to strengthening mental resilience in the community by improving sleep quality. The strategy will be iwi-led and inspired by Te Arawa mātauranga and lived voice through co-design and collaboration […]
Matariki kūmara planting
Healthy Families Rotorua is working with Kai Rotorua to plant a special maara Matariki for the city’s official umu kohukohu whetū next year. Lead systems innovator, Pirihira Whata, says the garden will be established at Te Puea Orchard with traditional kūmara varieties, such as hutihuti and taputini, and will be used as hautapu (offerings) for […]
Gold whetū for Matariki
Rotorua’s Matariki celebration at Motutara Point last month has received a gold star from Te Arawa kōeke. Healthy Families Rotorua lead systems innovator, Pirihira Whata, says the umu kohukohu whetū was hailed a success by kōeke at a recent follow-up hui with the event’s organising committee. She says overall, everyone was pleased with how the […]
Essence of Matariki
The city’s inaugural Matariki civic ceremony will provide locals and visitors the opportunity to participate in a traditional umu kohukohu whetū. To honour Matariki being observed as a public holiday, Rotorua will hold an umu kohukohu whetū on Friday 24 June at Motutara Point on the shores of Lake Rotorua. A Ngāti Whakaue representative, Kingi […]
Puna hidden gems
Healthy Families Rotorua systems innovators Stevee Wikiriwhi and Teteira Ormsby discovered some gems during their research haerenga at Waitawa Puna last week. The pair mapped the puna from Owhatiura, through Lynmore, and towards Lake Rotorua as part of the Waitawa Restoration Project, which Stevee is leading. She will be fostering relationships with mana whenua, hapū, […]
Award for Papa Rereata
Healthy Families Rotorua congratulates Rereata Makiha for his achievement in the 2022 Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year Awards. Papa Rereata was announced yesterday as the recipient of the Ryman Healthcare Senior New Zealander of the Year (Te Mātāputu o Te Tau) Award. The award acknowledges people who have made a positive contribution to Aotearoa […]
