Matariki shines bright again

By Rachelle Tauroa – Mātanga Hangarau

Whaea Jane du Feu at Matariki 2024.

This year our Waimeha team hosted Matariki for kaimahi. We started the day at the Nelson Provincial Museum to immerse ourselves in the ‘Te Tuhi o te Whenua: Pakohe Unearthed’ exhibition.

Pakohe (or argillite) is a Ngāti Kuia and Te Tauihu taonga and this was the first time pakohe has been publicly celebrated locally. The exhibition was fascinating on many levels – from learning about the whakapapa of trading pakohe, to the artisans of taonga and seeing the taonga from across the motu in one place.

The cariation (colours) in the stone are amazing and seeing pakohe under the microscope – it almost looks alive! I loved the stunning, contemporary uses of pakohe in jewellery and sculptural art, such as an axe made entirely of pakohe.

After the exhibition the team headed to the Trafalgar Centre, by the awa Mahitahi (Maitai) for lunch. We were welcomed in with a karanga from whaea Jane du Feu with Gaynor Rikihana-Tākao responding followed by a waerea (a protection karakia). Then we had kai, presentations, performances and cake cutting.

At ‘Te Tuhi o te Whenua: Pakohe Unearthed’ exhibition.

Noho marae wānanga a time for kaimahi to reflect and learn

By Rachelle Tauroa – Mātanga Hangarau (Technical Support & Comms Specialist)

Kaimahi had two valuable development opportunities recently, where ariki (teachers) and ākonga (students) shared kōrero and experiences.

A deep dive into big topics

Two ‘nation building’ wānanga were held in August for kaimahi, at the Headingly Centre in Whakatū (Nelson) and at Waikawa Marae in Waitohi (Picton).

Te Ururoa Flavell (right) was compelling in his kōrero

These were noho marae-style, where we stayed together for a two-day immersion in the wānanga delivered by Te Ururoa Flavell and Hone Hurihanganui.

The focus was on Te Tiriti o Waitangi vs the Treaty of Waitangi and on the impacts of colonisation and racism. What I got from this wānanga was a deeper understanding and insight into how things played out from the day Captain Cook arrived to now, and how that has shaped so much of where we are as Māori today.

It was two full-on days with a lot to unpack, and gave lots of food for thought on what the next steps might look like and what can I do.

One of my key learnings was that you can’t do it alone – take others along on your journey. It’s about education and understanding and if we can do that in a clear but respectful way then we are heading in the right direction. Doing nothing is not an option.

Kaimahi engaged in intense listening, discussion and activities to bring learning to life.

Heartwarming happenings for te tari o Wairau

By Melissa Nally – Pūkenga Manaaki, Te Hā Aukati Kaipaipa

The Wairau celebration for our anniversary was a heartwarming occasion bringing together kaimahi (old and new) and people in the community we have worked alongside over the years.

Kaimahi who have been here since the beginning

(Flo Joyce, Karena Martin, Mares Martin) spoke to their experiences. Te Piki Oranga started as ‘bare bones’ at Nelson Street before moving to the second floor of the Wairau community health hub where we have continued to grow – both in numbers of kaimahi and in the services provided.

Ricky Carr, Pūkenga Kaiwhakahaere Wairau, spoke about the evolution of Te Piki Oranga as a provider of Māori health services to a provider of Māori wellness services – bringing deeper immersion in Te Ao Māori practice and service provision.

The support Te Piki Oranga provides has expanded with the addition of services that address the social determinant of health such as housing (Healthy Homes Initiative), restorative justice (Te Pae Oranga), and mental health support (Te Ata Pūao, Te Kākano Hou).

The past 10 years have seen a progression of partnerships with Waikawa Marae, Picton Medical Centre, Cancer Society and Manu Ora GP practice. These partnerships were built through whanaungatanga, and benefit our whānau.

The floor was opened up to friends to kōrero (Margy Crosby and Felicity Spencer spoke). The influential impact on the wellbeing on our whānau through services and collaborative effort in development was a constant theme, and highlighted the high esteem in which Te Piki Oranga Wairau holds its community relationships.

Top: Ricky Carr speaks while a presentation of photos from the past 10 years plays in the background.

Bottom: Plenty of kai and kōrero was enjoyed by kaimahi and manuhiri.

Stand-out memories from 10 years with TPO

By Arihia (Alice) Adair – Pūkenga Manaaki

• Meeting with Tumuaki Anne Hobby during the formation of Te Piki Oranga.

• Our poari. Their kaha, aroha and the leadership of Aunty Jane. Mema poari who gave knowledge, cultural support, mentoring and coaching to me. Some have now passed to be with their tūpuna.

• The kaupapa Māori journey for some of us to understand the bigger meaning of kaupapa, what it looks like and how the knowledge can be applied in our mahi and daily lives. It is fun too!

• Our Motueka tari: Fun, fun, fun! We have heaps of laughter and do not need a reason to celebrate. Every day is wā harikoa.

• Whānau achievements are always acknowledged. We care and we say so. Together, we strive for excellence in the enabling of Māori wellness.

• Whānau, kaumātua, ngā hoa kaimahi. We look back to the contribution of kaimahi who have left the service for other fields of mahi.

• Matariki. The different hubs and tari are unique, and at Matariki we celebrate together.

• COVID-19 was an invisible taniwha amongst us that has no qualms about who will receive a dose. Our nurses had our backs, and fronts – all sides!

• Pride in Te Piki Oranga. Pride in Iwi i te Tauihu o te waka-a-Māui.

• Gaining further qualifications in my mahi.

• I am thankful I have ‘walked the talk’ with community groups and people. Community co-operation and collaboration makes for strong relationships, understanding and whānau wellness.

• I never doubted that Te Piki Oranga would graduate from being the ‘new kids on the block’ to an unmistakably Māori, highly functional wellness service. We are good at what we do!

  He aha te mea nui o te ao?

  He tāngata, he tāngata, he tāngata!

Arihia (left) shares a hongi with Anne Hobby at Matariki 2024.

Insights from an original! My 10 years of care

By Gaynor Rikihana-Tākao, Pūkenga Kaiwhakahaere ki Motueka

My Te Tauihu story starts when I moved to Motueka in October 2008 to joi my husband and his whānau.

I worked in rest homes and in public health and primary health roles. They paid well and I enjoyed working with the elderly, but these roles were culturally unsatisfying.

This was because I wasn’t working with Māori. I was working mostly with Pākehā – some stunning, but mostly not. This caused me awful health issues and low self-esteem, and those who know me would say that it is hard to bring me down!

During this time, Māori health services in Te Tauihu were amalgamating, causing unhappiness for some. As a rāwaho (outsider) I observed and gave support, where required by ngā iwi kāinga.

Finding my hauora home in Te Piki Oranga

In July 2014 Te Piki Oranga was established, and I was employed soon afterwards in October. Having worked in other Māori health services, I could see we had a long way to go culturally as an organisation. But I also knew that I had found my home in healthcare.

Our Tumuaki was chosen well, in my opinion. I only knew a little bit about Anne Hobby then, but I had faith and was ready to be led forward as a warrior for hauora Māori.

We couldn’t have proven ourselves in that first year-long contract without our Tumuaki, who grew broad shoulders during roles in nursing and in mental healthcare. To this experience Anne brought a strong sense of justice – driven to change those outrageous statistics for Māori health.

Anne was clearly going to make Te Piki Oranga work ‘come hell or high water’ and saw that employing Māori, and people sensitive to our kaupapa, was key to putting ngāi tātou te iwi Māori on the pathway to better health.

Bringing cultural competency to clinical expertise

From the start I planned to make my workplace a Māori space, a safe space culturally for Māori, and for me.

I have loved seeing kaimahi develop with the music, waiata and celebration of things Māori that I have enjoyed bringing into our mahi to complement our clinical training and services.

Cultural competency is key to achieving our whakatakanga me te kitenga – to restore whānau health for a positive future.

Our growth has been staggering, from kaimahi personal growth to the huge increase in the contracts we’ve secured and services we provide.

As we grew, we stayed true to our kaupapa – by Māori for Māori – to the point where we could proudly call ourselves a Kaupapa Māori Wellness Service employing over 75 per cent Māori staff.

I’ve seen kaimahi come and go, and some return. This space is not for the faint-hearted. If you’re looking for the biggest salaries – aroha mai e hoa mā kei wāhi kē.

We have experienced racism, sexism, ageism.

But we’re Māori and we’re tough.

It was tough for our Pākehā kaimahi also sometimes, receiving jibes from their Pakeha peers for working in a Māori organisation. That made me reflect on my experience working in Pākehā organisations – feeling isolated, among people unwilling to understand me and care for me as a Māori person with a rich cultural background I was very willing to share.

Kei te tū tonu mātou a Te Piki Oranga, ka haere ki mua kāore tō mātou mahi e mutu ahakoa te aha. He aha te mea nui o te ao, he tangata, he whānau, he hapū, he iwi.

He aroha mau roa ki a Te Piki Oranga, mauri ora!

Gaynor Rikihana-Tākao in her element at Matariki 2024

Tuku Te Rere – our wings unfurling

Now in its second year, our Tuku Te Rere programme, established by Te Pou Taki Carl Baker, has put kaimahi firmly on a journey towards greater cultural capability.

Our kitenga is to have culturally capable kaimahi providing an exemplary Māori wellness service. Through Tuku Te Rere, kaimahi progress through four phases of learning that are shaped around the concept of a manu, or bird.

Pitopito kōrero, by Carl Baker

Ko tō tātau anga āheitanga ahurea, our cultural capability framework, is thriving.

In resonance with our taukī whakatakanga (mission statement), ‘mā te huruhuru ka rere te manu’, we are equipping ourselves with the mātauranga to provide a hauora service aligned to tikanga Māori.

All kaimahi have an ‘onboarding’ pass for their flight plan on the continuum of learning and I am pleased with the journey so far. For the year ahead, we will continue to focus on the majority of kaimahi at Manu Pūhouhou and Manu Kūao stages.

We have met our target, with 30 per cent of kaimahi reaching these taumata. Fifty per cent of kaimahi have undertaken Te Ataarangi training and almost 70 per cent attended our tikanga wānanga, which included Te Tiriti o Waitangi training.

Mahi a Atua training and learning is continuing to be a highlight for kaimahi. This year we hope to see the rest of kaimahi undertake Mahi a Atua courses.

Kaimahi perspectives of their learning journey

Summer Stronach

Pitopito kōrero, by Summer Stronach

I found the resources provided on SharePoint very helpful. It was handy to have the correct kupu and info available to me so I didn’t have to second guess anything I searched on the internet.

Any other awhi I got from kaimahi always felt safe for me and I wasn’t too scared to ask for help when needed.

The process of sitting my assessment felt very informal – in the best way. Lots of us freak out and think it’s going to be a test in strict circumstances and that no mistakes are allowed. It was a really nice way to kōrero and ‘be tested’ at the same time.

Rachelle Tauroa

Pitopito kōrero, by Rachelle Tauroa

I was a bit whakamā to sit my Manu Pūhouhou assessment. My nerves made me feel I couldn’t do it.

Carl was probably key to me taking that first step as when he said, ‘You are sitting your Manu Pūhouhou’, I thought, ‘I am ok’. While those nerves were still there, Carl made the process feel easy.

That push helped me to make a commitment that by the end of 2023 I would sit my Manu Kūao assessment, which I did and received my badge. Now I am on my journey to sit my Manu Pīrere.

Along with Te Ataarangi, the resources are very helpful in helping me to start that kōrero journey of putting sentences together. I am now trying to kōrero te reo Māori when I can, and with who I can.

I feel Tuku Te Rere has really helped me feel more confident in my reo journey and being ok about making hapa (mistakes).

Pitopito kōrero, by Georgie (Georgina) Taukamo

I found the assessment included awesome, important fundamentals for my te reo journey, covering a lot of the basic formal / informal greetings that I did not know.

Another fundamental for me is the expansion / revival of my prior knowledge around our health models that underpin our values and practice. Being able to implement this into my mahi helped me with my work. It was highly valuable to revisit this and have Carl kōrero about hauora Māori health models more in depth.

I found that attending Ataarangi weekly with fellow kaimahi helped with confidence. Being able to kōrero and practice in the tari helped further my understanding of sentence structures and pronunciation of kupu.

I also found that by completing the assessment in a formal Word document prior and working through each task scheduled through my week helped my understanding. So when I was ready to sit my assessment I felt confident, because I had taken the time to really study it in depth at my own pace and, importantly, I understood it.

I really appreciated the links to learning resources. I also took the opportunity to ask Ataarangi kaimahi questions I had at the time, which was really helpful.

I think overall it was the awhi from fellow kaimahi that further encouraged me to complete the assessment. Mentors like Amber were helpful for other pātai. And just having a relaxed environment while completing the assessment with Carl really helped with my nerves.

It was also important to share my experience with other kaimahi who also attended Ataarangi – to encourage them to complete the cultural assessment, too. In my opinion, it all comes down to our peers – supporting each other to give us the confidence we lack within ourselves.

Once I completed Manu Kūao, I made a personal commitment to prioritise the time for me to learn and further my knowledge in Te Ao Māori. Also to encourage and annoy my peers to make the leap too!

Tikanga wānanga brings kotahitanga

A tikanga wānanga for Te Piki Oranga kaimahi was held at Waikawa Marae in December as part of the Te Piki Oranga Cultural Capability Framework Strategy.

Carl Baker, Te Pou Taki, says that wānanga is a place of learning, where kaimahi are taught aspects of celestial and terrestrial Māori knowledge.

“For some kaimahi this was a new experience, and all kaimahi were kept safe and well-informed of the cultural practices. There was time for reflection, karakia, waiata, working together and laughter,” Carl says.

“Wānanga will continue to be an essential component of Te Piki Oranga, especially more beneficial by being on the marae, with mana whenua throughout Te Tauihu.”

The whakataukī Carl chose to describe the tikanga wānanga is: Whatungarongaro te tangata toitū te whenua – as people disappear from sight, the land remains.

Participant Rachelle Tauroa, Kaiawhi Hangarau Whakaaturanga, says the wānanga was an opportunity for kaimahi to learn, and strengthen knowledge, about important tikanga such as pōwhiri.

Kaimahi enjoyed a kōrero from Barney Thomas, Te Tauihu pou tairangahau (extensive cultural advisor) who talked about his life growing up in Waitohi, his mahi with the Department of Conservation and his mahi within the rohe, iwi and hapu whānau of Te Tauihu.

Mr Thomas holds many governance and kaitiaki roles with Ngāti Rārua Ᾱtiawa Iwi Trust, representing the iwi in areas such as resource management, land management and Te Āwhina Marae. In November this year he was awarded Te Tohu Ratonga Tūmatanui o Aotearoa, the New Zealand Public Service Medal as recognition for 40 years of civil service.

Rachelle says another highlight of the wānanga was the workshop around ngā uara (values).

“This started with each tari doing a skit or kōrero around what they have been doing in their tari around ngā uara,” Rachelle says.

One example of this is the kōrero led by Gaynor Rikihana-Takao, Nehi Arahanga for the Motueka tari.

“Gaynor described how our values are a taonga and a way of being within Te Ao Māori, which was supported with a brief kōrero from Chook Norgate.”

Also at the wānanga, Thomas Ngaruhe gave a kōrero about Te Tiriti o Waitangi. And kaimahi all contributed to wānanga duties ranging from breakfast and clean-up, to leading karakia and waiata.

Photo captions, from top left and going around clockwise:

• Te Piki Oranga Board Chair Jane de Feu

• Te Piki Oranga Tumuaki Anne Hobby

• Barney Thomas

• Ngareta Campion

• Kōrero about ngā uara, values

• One of many waiata

• Thomas Ngaruhe

• Te Piki Oranga Te Pou Taki Carl Baker

Kaimahi at the tikanga wānanga held at Waikawa Marae in December 2023

Kōrero mai: meet our new guy!

Behind every frontline health and wellbeing team are kaimahi working to keep the wheels turning. Information technology (IT) is one of these essential supports.

In April 2023 Te Piki Oranga welcomed Mike Fulop to the Waimeha tari team, as Kaituitui Hangarau Whakāturanga, IT Coordinator.

Kia ora Mike, can you tell us a little about yourself?

I am married to Tracey, have four children and one cat and live fully off-grid on a farm in the Tasman region near Ngātīmoti. I grew up mainly in Auckland and moved to Nelson four years ago after my māmā passed away. Her passing was the catalyst for my journey of Taha Māori, tikanga and whakapapa, and I am looking forward to continuing that journey with Te Piki Oranga.

Ko Mangatawhiri Te Maunga

Ko Te Tai Tamahine Te Moana

Ko Te Arawa Te Waka

Ko Ngāti Hei Te Iwi

Ko Te Rā Matiti Marae

Nō Hauraki Ahau

Ko Mike Fulop toku ingoa

How did you get to be where you are today?

I was exposed to IT early on in my career as a draughtsman and was captivated by the IT in that job. So I applied for an IT admin role, which basically meant I changed floppy disks (remember those?) and organised the printer paper. Thus, my career in IT was launched!

I progressed into application development as I was fascinated in creating computer programs and moved into hardware as an IT support technician because I liked to build and fix machines. Combining the two skills lead me to become a computer engineer then the opportunity to manage people like me presented itself and I became a manager.

After moving to Nelson I worked two seasons in the hops industry and then two years in the NZ Customs Service. My love of IT and the opportunity to work for Te Piki Oranga with their inspirational values and commitment to kaimahi cultural capability drew me back and I’m excited to be a part of this whānau.

How does your mahi line up with the Te Piki Oranga kitenga – Me whakahaumanu te mana o te whānau a, ka haere whakamua (Revitalise whānau for their future)?

My job is one of service to Te Piki Oranga. By exploring what works for our kaimahi, reducing the technological challenges, and improving processes and tools, I can help our kaimahi focus on their core roles of working with our whānau.

What is something that people might not know or appreciate about the kind of mahi you do?

Even with the best laid plans, things fail, and usually at the worst time! For instance, the other day the video conferencing equipment, that had been working perfectly ok, decided to fail minutes before an important meeting – so trying to fix it and remain calm while all eyes are on you is one of the many different challenges we face.

Diagnosing an IT issue can be difficult but also funny. One time a computer kept crashing during the evening and all attempts at diagnosis failed. We swapped out the machine but the issue carried on!

Eventually we set up a camera and discovered that the cleaner would come in at night and pull out the computer plug to connect the vacuum cleaner which solved the mystery.

Is ‘health IT’ a thing?

Definitely! Health IT or health information technology is the use of a broad range of technologies in health and healthcare, which includes the secure storage and retrieval of clinical data, and the exchange of health information in an electronic environment.

Is IT a good career for rangatahi to be thinking about?

Yes, IT offers multiple career paths and opportunities with new technologies constantly being developed and adopted. It is our rangatahi, who will be at the forefront of these advances both in their development and use, and it is their young and agile minds that will transport us along with them to places we have yet to imagine.

Any final thoughts?

In all my years of mahi in the IT space the most important aspect I have learnt is he tāngata, he tāngata. This applies to IT in the way IT supports people to do their jobs and this can apply to IT – "IT is the people, IT is the people".

To me, thinking about IT in this way is fundamental to how we should approach IT in relation to our whānau.

Cultural capability set to soar with Tuku Te Rere

Mā te huruhuru ka rere te manu – a bird is adorned with its plumage in order that it may take flight

This Te Piki Oranga whakatakanga is embodied in the new kaimahi cultural capability development programme Tuku Te Rere.

Carl Baker, Pou Taki and tātāriki of Tuku Te Rere, was pleased to launch the programme at te tari o Whakatū on 19 January. Wairau kaimahi were next to start Tuku Te Rere, closely followed by Wairau, Motueka and Waimeha. Most recently, Tuku Te Rere was introduced to the primary care team at Manu Ora in Wairau.

“All have begun their journeys to increase their cultural capability along the continuum of learning. Learning progresses in a stepped scale shaped around the concept of a manu as it grows from a hatchling in its cultural infancy, to a young bird and then a more competent fledgling before becoming a manu tāiko – as a cultural proficient guardian,” Carl says.

Tuku Te Rere is part of te anga āheitanga ahurea, the Te Piki Oranga cultural capability framework.

Once kaimahi complete the cultural assessment, a cultural capability development plan is agreed with their supervisor or manager.

Carl says that kaimahi are given time and resources, to ensure they can meet the critical success factors that will pinpoint, how kaimahi will collectively achieve Te Piki Oranga pae tawhiti – organisational goals. These include: 

• Te reo me ōna tikanga

• Rautaki (strategy)

• Te Tiriti o Waitangi

• Māori models of health

Learning continues outside of work and kaimahi are encouraged to invest their own time on their journey.

“As kaimahi progress along the four stages, the meaning of traditional rituals like karakia, waiata and mihi whakatau and attending tangi is revealed, in the sense of why these things are essential to know in a kaupapa Māori health service,” Carl says.

“The practice of tuakana/teina and active learning where learning is reciprocal between teacher and student is an ‘organic’ learning process. But the trick is to think ‘whakaaro Māori’ first and then put that thought process into a bi-cultural framework.”

One of the huruhuru, (planned actions) towards te reo me ōna tikanga goal, is access to te reo classes. This is now underway with kaimahi starting Te Ataarangi lessons in mid-March and reporting positive experiences of the programme.

“Learning te reo Māori with a method that is all about working as a whānau and helping each other is a bonus, especially as kaimahi.

“We have kaimahi well-versed in te reo sitting with kaimahi beginning their journey, embracing the Mahi a Atua principle ‘Ka mā te ariki, tauira, ka mā te tauira’ that is about being an active learner. This principle encourages us to be responsive to each other and to our environment,” Carl says.

Te Ataarangi is complementary to the kaupapa of Tuke Te Rere – and to the Te Piki Oranga kitenga and whakatakanga.

“Our kitenga – vison – is to have culturally capable kaimahi providing an exemplary kaupapa Māori service to whānau, hapū and iwi of Te Tauihu o te waka-a-Māui.

“We want to ensure the pūkenga (skills) in a Māori paradigm can be drawn upon to meet the needs of whānau – in their homes, in our clinics, on marae. So that Māori feel their time with Te Piki Oranga is tika (correct), genuine and sincere.”

Te Piki Oranga kaimahi (Whakatū)

Manu Ora kaimahi

He tirohanga mai i te kaimahi

Karen MacDonald, Pūkenga Manaaki, has completed the first stage – Manu Pūhouhou (hatchling).

She is now firmly on her te reo Māori journey and aspires to kōrero more confidently by the end of the year. Reflecting on the kaupapa of Tuku Te Rere, Karen says it is important that kaimahi are competent and capable in tikanga Māori.

“So we understand the meanings of whānaungatanga, rangatiratanga, manaakitanga – all the ‘tanga’! And so as a rōpū can support our whānau in a te ao Māori environment, not just in a clinical space.

Karen says that it is also important for kaimahi to “have an actual knowledge of tangata whenua, ‘korero ki te korero’.”

Hana Randall, Pūkenga Manaaki in adult mental health, has also completed the Manu Pūhouhou stage. She is now set to continue learning te reo at NMIT as well as during her worktime with Te Ataarangi.

“I want to try continue with as many wānanga Māori where I can continue my learning journey in my own time.

“Tuku Te Rere is going to keep me tika and pono in my learning journey and with what I should already be doing working in a kaupapa Māori space,” Hana says.

“If we are not competent and capable, then why are we serving as a kaupapa Māori service? We should be living by Tikanga every day and learning as we can.”

Mō Mātou: Te Ataarangi

 Te Ataarangi is a programme for adult Māori language learning developed in the late 1970's by Dr Kāterina Te Heikōkō Mataira and Ngoingoi Pewhairangi.

It is modelled on a learning method developed by Caleb Gattegno, which uses cuisenaire rods (rākau) and spoken language. His methodology was further developed to incorporate Māori values and customs, and Te Ataarangi was born.

Thousands of adults have learned to speak te reo Māori in Te Ataarangi classes, with Te Piki Oranga kaimahi starting their Te Ataarangi journey this year.

Rākau rods being used by Te Piki Oranga kaimahi in a Te Ataarangi class

Taking the time to get strategic

 Taking the time to get strategic

A Te Piki Oranga Strategic Plan hui in November was a welcome return to the kaimahi development calendar after disruptions in the past two years due to COVID-19.

 Held at the Hedingly Centre in Waimeha (Richmond), the hui was an opportunity for kaimahi to put their everyday mahi to one side for a while and focus on the big picture.

 “The day was about where we are at and where we are going, in terms of our strategic plan, and a chance to ask questions and give feedback,” says Rachelle Tauroa, Te Ata Pūao Establishment Co-ordinator.

 Guest speaker Riana Manuel, Chief Executive Officer at Te Aka Whai Ora, the Māori Health Authority, joined the hui by video conference. Another highlight was a presentation from Te Piki Oranga Management Team members Lorraine Staunton and Carl Baker about service Delivery wānanga held this year.

 “We also had a ‘speed dating session’ with the Board of Directors and some of our head office management team. This was a fun way for kaimahi to get to know our leaders a little better, and ask any burning questions,” Rachelle says.

Matariki 2022

Matariki marks the Māori New Year or Te Mātahi o te tau. The arrival of Matariki is a sign for people to gather, to honour the dead, celebrate the present and plan for the future. For our tūpuna, our Māori ancestors, astronomy was interwoven into all facets of life. Observations of the movements of the stars and planets, the changing position of the sun, the phases of the moon and the appearance of comets and meteors were recorded and handed down from generation to generation as part of Maaori oral tradition.

To celebrate Matariki this year Te Piki Oranga held a wānanga for kaimahi at Omaka Marae beginning on Tuesday 28 June with an afternoon powhiri, followed by three guest speakers, hākari and waiata. The next day starts early with a trip to Rārangi to observe Matariki.

The rōpu (group) returned to Omaka Marae to partake in a ceremonial offering known as Te umu kohukohu whetū me te hautapu. Hautapu is a traditional ceremony about making an offering to the Matariki star cluster. Kai from the four stars* are collected from their respective sources, prepared, and cooked and the steam is offered to them while the kai is consumed by the rōpu.  

The nine stars of Matariki

Matariki – the mother of the other stars in the constellation

Pōhutukawa – connects Matariki to the dead and is the star that carries our dead across the year

Tupu-ā-nuku* – is tied to food that grows in the ground

Tupu-ā-rangi* – is tied to food that comes from above your head such as birds and fruit

Waitī*– is tied to food that comes from fresh water

Waitā* – is tied to food that comes from salt water

Waipuna-a-rangi – is tied to the rain

Ururangi – is tied to the winds

Hiwa-i-te-rangi – is the youngest star in the cluster, the star that you send your wishes to

Go on, tell us what you think!

As part of how we continually review our services to find out what we are doing right, what we could do better and what we need to fix, we invite you to tell us what you think in a survey. All survey participants will go into the draw to win a $100 kai or petrol voucher.

 We’ll be asking things like:

·       What are the challenges you find in accessing and using our services?

·       What can we do to improve?

·       What are we doing well that works for you and your whānau?

·       What services do you need that we don’t already provide?

·       How would you prefer to receive information from us?

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Everything is an opportunity, says new Te Pou Taki

Everything is an opportunity, says new Te Pou Taki

Carl Baker took over the role of Te Pou Taki (Māori cultural adviser) at Te Piki Oranga earlier this year and has spent the past four months undertaking a cultural assessment of Te Piki Oranga’s activities.

The Pou Taki position was advertised after Sonny Alesana moved to a new role as Kōtuitui Hapori (Community Connector). When Carl saw the position advertised, he jumped at the chance to relocate to Te Tauihu to take up the role and be closer to his whānau based in Whakatū.

In this role, Carl aims to support both kaimahi (employees) and whānau. He says the purpose of the cultural assessment he’s been undertaking is to ‘make sure our activities align with what we say we’re doing’. He is looking for ways to enhance how kaupapa Māori informs Te Piki Oranga’s strategic direction and to ensure tikanga Māori (Māori custom) is implemented accurately across the organisation, starting with the leadership team.

Following this, he has his sights set on a development plan for management and kaimahi. Then he will take a ‘deep dive’ with individuals, to support them to improve their cultural development.

‘I see everything as an opportunity,’ Carl explains. ‘I’m looking at how we can progress staff along the continuum of learning and interventions we can put in place to help that shift. For example, I’m aiming to increase staff members’ overall cultural capability which will ensure Te Piki Oranga continues to transform as a kaupapa Māori health and wellness organisation.’

His previous experience, as Pou Tairangahau (cultural manager) at the Department of Conservation in Hawkes Bay, has equipped him with transferrable skills that have given him a great head start in this role as Te Pou Taki.