Rongo¯a M¯aori helps ACC deliver equity
Nikau Munroe-Rawiri is in the middle of the ngahere (forest) in Te Tai Tokerau centring himself.
He can hear the native tū ī, he can feel the warmth of the sun on his skin, and his deliberate breathing slows everything down. There is nowhere else he’d rather be.
The 21-year-old, from the Rangikohu marae in Herekino, has been on a journey of finding himself. Breathing has helped him awaken his wairua (spirit) and mauri (life energy).
‘‘Being back on my whenua is where I feel the strongest connection,’’ he says.
‘‘It is healing and restoring for me. It fills my cup, which allows me to give more of myself to whatever I’m pursuing.’’
Munroe-Rawiri is qualified with a diploma in rongoā Mā ori. He has plenty of lived experience of seeing the benefits of rongoā Māori in his friends and his whā nau.
He says it’s a huge step forward to know that rongoā Mā ori is an option for New Zealanders in their recovery from injury with ACC.
‘‘To have ACC supporting rongoā is massive,’’ he says. ‘‘It gives rongoā more credibility and will hopefully change how people perceive rongoā .’’
Munroe-Rawiri, a proud Māori, says it was isolating growing up in a ‘‘Pā kehā world’’.
Over time it caused him mental health issues and anxiety.
‘‘I used to have an agitated mind. It was running 24/7, all day, every day. My nights were restless because my mind was in the past or the future. It was constantly running. Breathwork helped to calm me down.’’
His study of rongoā Mā ori has connected him with tikanga Mā ori.
‘‘I’ve learnt not only how to heal people, but I have learnt my reo, I have learnt my whakapapa, I have learnt my connections to the land, I have learnt my connections to the gods – ngā atua.’’
Rongoā Māori is traditional
Māori healing. It includes mirimiri (bodywork), whitiwhiti kō rero (support and advice) and karakia (prayer). It can also include waiata (song) or having kai (food).
In Northland, 2578 rongoā sessions have been delivered to
‘‘Being back on my whenua is where I feel the strongest connection. It is healing and restoring for me.’’
support 304 kiritaki. Offering rongoā as a service is part of ACC’s continuing efforts to deliver equity for Mā ori.
‘‘We recognise we need to offer a choice of support services that reflect tikanga Mā ori (customs) and te ao Mā ori to uphold our responsibilities to Māori under Te Tiriti o Waitangi,’’ says ACC Tumu Pae Ora (chief Mā ori and equity officer) Michelle Murray.