What causes distress and long-term mental conditions and what can be done to avoid further distress? Te Whānau o Waipareira thinks it may have the key to unlocking a traditional Māori technique that can alleviate mental conditions that are affecting the way people think and feel.
Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency chief operating officer Awerangi Tamihere says, “It has been a forgotten pandemic by some but, for us in Waipareira, it's been the reality for us for 30 years. But what we've seen in Covid-19 first is our rangatahi and the number of tamariki who have anxiety and who have issues with mental health as well.”
Whānau Ora Minister Peeni Henare says, “We can't work as Māori organisations in a silo. We need to use our network to support our whānau in mild to moderate stresses and that's trying to stop them from falling down the cliff, so we need to catch them before that happens.”
Te Aka Matua launch
Tamihere says the Waipareira solution has rongoā embedded in it "that we know upholds the mana of our people who are struggling with mental illnesses. That is at the very heart of our solution.”
“It is not just the one solution- there are so many different 'for Māori by Māori' solutions on the ground. It's actually already working on the ground but this is the first time that our 'by Māori, for Māori' solutions are being acknowledged,” she said.
Māori view
Te Whānau o Waipareira is walking the talk and not only providing a service n to its residents in West Auckland but also making sure its own staff are in the right frame of mind.
Jason Paahi o Te Whānau o Waipareira says growing up at Hoani Waititi Marae, which is a multicultural marae, has been the catalyst to shaping a Māori framework.