Piki Maunga Crew trek Tongariro
Hoki atu ki tōu maunga kia purea ai e koe ki ngā hau o Tāwhirimātea.Return to your mountain to be cleansed by the winds of Tāwhirimātea. While weather conditions influenced the path we took, our Piki Maunga crew’s spirits were lifted in the wairua-enhancing atmosphere of the Tongariro Crossing at the weekend. Piki Maunga is […]
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 […]
PROFILE: Aneta Morgan
Aneta Morgan believes the resurgence of mātauranga Māori practices and age-old traditions can be the solution to many of the world’s problems. Aneta is the team lead of Rotorua Lakes Council’s Te Amorangi Unit and a member of Healthy Families Rotorua’s Senior Leadership Group (SLG). She was invited to join the SLG because of her […]
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 […]
Waitawa Bush Project
Teteira Ormsby & Mariana Vercoe with Lynmore School deputy principal Lisa Hohepa (centre).
Maramataka shifting mindsets
Te Hekenga-ā-Rongo presenter, Davina Thompson (Ngāti Awa, Te Arawa), is infiltrating her knowledge of maramataka amongst the country’s environmental policymakers. She is currently working on the Environment of Te Arawa 2022 synthesis report for Ministry for the Environment based on Matariki as a framework, in her role as policy analyst and mātauranga Māori expert. Davina […]
Taking maramataka to the world
The resurgence of maramataka is influencing the way many people go about their lives – and Rotorua is preparing to showcase it to the world. Healthy Families Rotorua is hosting worldwide online symposium, Te Hekenga-ā-Rongo next month. The livestream event will feature experts and practitioners from Aotearoa who are creating pathways for the revitalisation of […]
Speaking to Māori systems
Healthy Families Rotorua is exploring and demonstrating how Mātauranga Māori systems and traditions influence practice that encourages communities to consider their health and wellbeing. Te Patu o Te Rangi is a framework with the aim to guide Healthy Families Rotorua and Te Kāhui Māori with the intent to increase access to and quality engagement with […]
