Pōwhiri and Opening address for Taihoro Nukurangi 2025

Te Awa Atua refers to the life-giving forces of the female body, particularly within the context of pre-colonial Māori beliefs.

Maira is a seasoned Māori language and tikanga educator with over 30 years’ experience, passionate about revitalising te reo Māori in homes, communities, and workplaces.

Leilani Maraku, founder of Mana o te Tangata Trust, leads Aotearoa's largest peer-led mental health service. She stressed the importance of whānau voices and collaboration in creating lasting community support.

Sir Mark Solomon (Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Kurī) is a leader in iwi development and health governance. He shared insights on the importance of community-centered decision-making.

Te Ahi Wairua o Kaikōura Charitable Trust (TAWK) is a whānau-led organisation dedicated to enhancing the well-being, cultural prosperity, and social wealth of whānau, hapū, iwi, and hapori through inclusive, wānanga-centred approaches that nurture identity, capacity, and hauora.

Whakaaturanga: He takenga Atua, Wellbeing potentiality through ancestral profiling and the Taiao.

Dinner welcome & introduction of Charles Hohaia and his korero around the Taihoro Nukurangi name as well as beautiful singing by Ron Baker.

Eru Kapa-Kingi, a Māori leader and activist, urges institutions to engage in decolonisation. His kōrero emphasized the power of whakapapa, identity, and collective leadership.

Te Kaupapa is a Māori-led mental health and addiction service delivering whānau-centered care across Tāmaki Makaurau, Counties Manukau, and Waikato.

Te Waka Whaiora Trust Kaupapa Māori services is an Indigenous, localised, whānau-centred designed by Māori, with Māori, underpinned by Māori models of practice organisation.

Te Piki Oranga is a kaupapa Māori health provider delivering whānau-centered care across Te Tauihu o Te Waka-a-Māui. Their team highlighted Te Ao Māori therapies and relationship-based practices to support thriving whānau.

Whakaoranga Whanau Recovery Hub is a kaupapa Māori alcohol and other drugs (AOD) community support service based in Kaikohe. The hub is committed to supporting whanau suffering the effects of addiction, to transition to a life in recovery.