Boots definitely made for walking
HEALTHY Families Far North is lacing up its boots to keep step with Far North kauma¯ tua as they encourage more people to walk the Far North District’s tracks and reserves.
Walking for Healthy Families is Healthy Families Far North’s new initiative, aimed at bringing to life the ko¯ rero and memories of local kauma¯ tua about the unique, defining landscapes that are to be found in the Far North.
The organisation is in the process of collecting stories in partnership with hau ka¯ inga, the Department of Conservation and other iwi organisations to eventually offer narratives back to communities via traditional and social media.
Healthy Families Far North kaiwhakahaere Shirleyanne Brown said the immediate objective was to encourage people to become more active by using the resources available at their back door. The beauty of Walking for Healthy Families was leveraging off the knowledge held by kauma¯ tua that would inspire wha¯ nau to invest more in chronic disease prevention and holistic health.
“We regard kauma¯ tua as the rightful bastions of knowledge. Walking for Healthy Families Far North enables authentic, local leadership that has the power to effect change and close the generational gap in the transmission of ma¯ tauranga Ma¯ ori,” she said.
Younger generations traditionally looked to kauma¯ tua to make sense of environmental stimuli, she added. Kauma¯ tua held deeper understanding of the human relationship to nga¯ taia¯ o, from the collection and use of rongoa¯ Ma¯ ori to the use of the ma¯ ramataka Ma¯ ori to enhance engagement with the environment.
“In the Far North District we have 72 Department of Conservation-managed walking tracks alone,” Ms Brown said.
“This doesn’t take into account all the other public green spaces and reserves that are maintained by the Far North District Council and other organisations. The places where people can reconnect with the whenua are everywhere and available to everyone, whether you are beginning to explore or a seasoned hiker.”
So far Healthy Families Far North had met with kauma¯ tua at Lake Ngatu, Taumarumaru reserve (Cooper’s Beach), the Ta¯ ne Ma¯ huta walk, Te Oneroa a Tohe and the Herekino walkway, and hoped to explore more remote areas, such as the Warawara Forest and walks in the most northern reaches of Nga¯ ti Kuri.
“We are excited about helping to bring forward the stories that sometimes tend to exist in the shadows,” she added.
“As we look to invest in a holistic framework to prevent the onset of chronic disease, we are reminded by the whakatauk¯ı: Kia whakato¯ muri te haere whakamua. I walk backwards into the future with my eyes fixed on the past.”