At Te Taura Ora, we are committed to ensuring that the lived experience of our whānau and their voices shape the health system, strengthening Māori leadership and placing tino rangatiratanga and mana motuhake at the heart of every decision we make. How to achieve hauora sovereignty is based on how to “practise it, grow it, and normalise it.”
Recently, our team engaged with international Indigenous thought leaders at the Toitū Hauora Māori Health Leaders Symposium, hosted by Ngāti Tūwharetoa in Taupō with the support of Te Rau Ora. The Symposium kōrero was around a central question “How do we create system change and be true to ourselves?”
This collaboration brought together Māori leaders, indigenous innovators, alongside Chief Kirk Francis and Kitcki Carroll from self-governing unired South and Eastern tribal nations in the USA to explore how Indigenous-led governance, investment, and policy can strengthen health and wellbeing outcomes for communities. By connecting across borders, we were able to share thirty years of insights, learn from proven models off-shore, and consider how these approaches can strengthen whānau health outcomes here in Aotearoa.
The symposium reinforced that system change must be guided by tikanga, history, and identity. We reflected on our Te Arawa whakapapa, mana motuhake and tino rangatiratanga pre-1840 before Tāngata Tiriti arrived, and the ongoing need to honour whānau perspectives in all aspects of healthcare.
Engaging with Indigenous leaders from overseas demonstrated how self-determination in health can be successfully exercised, providing insights into governance models, policy advocacy, and sustainable investment that can be adapted to the Aotearoa context.
Being part of the Symposium aligns directly with our strategic priorities at Te Taura Ora. By connecting with iwi, hapū, providers, and international partners, we are building networks, sharing knowledge, and advocating for Māori-led solutions that strengthen whānau wellbeing. We are embedding Whānau Voice in decision-making, growing our capacity to influence health policy, and demonstrating the value of Māori leadership in driving system change.
At the heart of this approach, our Chair, Hingatu Thompson, shared at the Symposium how our mahi at te Taura Ora is guided by three key pou:
- Whānau Mana Motuhake – empowering whānau to actively lead and participate in their wellbeing.
- Hapū and Iwi Tino Rangatiratanga – strengthening self-determination across hapū and iwi structures.
- Māori Kotahitanga – fostering unity across iwi to collectively shape a health system that works for all whānau.
Te Toitū Hauora is now a platform to connect, learn, and translate Indigenous-led innovation into action. By actively engaging with international thought leaders and working in partnership with iwi and whānau, Te Taura Ora is ensuring that Māori leadership, values, and aspirations are at the centre of the health system now and for generations to come.