He Whare Wāhine | Celebrating 20 Years
He Whare Wāhine recognises and proactively focuses on the celebration and acknowledgement of wāhine Māori and their often-pivotal role in whānau, hapū and iwi. This focus brings about tangible change to the lives of wāhine Māori, tamariki, and whānau through reconnecting them to te ao Māori through pūrākau, waiata, wānanga, and whanaungatanga.
The team of wāhine Māori leading this kaupapa are committed to restoring the status and mana of wāhine Māori as the pūrākau of Hineahuone tells us:
Tāne called out, ‘We are seeking the path to woman. This is what we are doing.’ They replied, ‘Go to the soil at Kurawaka, there to go about your work. There the woman can be found, untouched, select and sacred, for she possesses the essence of humankind.’1
The goal is to foster and promote environments that enable wāhine Māori to reclaim their divine right to their whakapapa, mātauranga and their place in history. This means we centre them within the greater nucleus of the whānau as the nurturer, the carer, and the leader. A place is offered for daughters’, mothers’, sisters’, and grandmothers’ natural native intellect to be heard – a wānanga. Within these wānanga, courageous conversations are invited, sheltered, and honoured. Wāhine Māori are enlivened through the wānanga process which validates and honours their journeys.
Ngā Pou o Te Whare | Our Purpose
There are three philosophies (mātāpono) that underpin He Whare Wāhine:
- The unapologetic advancement of wāhine Māori in hapū, iwi, contemporary communities as valid representatives and voices of intergenerational trauma.
- the re-establishment of mana wāhine Māori in all aspects of her life, from the ‘kitchen table’ to the ‘caucus table.’
- the practical application of tikanga to all life domains which enable wāhine Māori to achieve personal equality.
He Kura te Tāngata
He Whare Wāhine team members work collaboratively across all offered programmes.
Whakapakari Kaimahi Māori: mō te oranga me te hiranga Report
He mihi maioha, Acknowledging Our Kaimahi Māori
E ngā rangatira o te kaupapa, tēnei te mihi kau atu.
As we close this chapter of our Workforce Development Project for Kaimahi Māori working in the Family Violence and Sexual Violence sector, we pause to honour and acknowledge each of you who contributed your kōrero, mātauranga, and lived experience.
This kaupapa would not exist without you, the mātanga Māori who carry the weight of this mahi every day, grounded in aroha, tikanga, and commitment to whānau ora. Your voices have guided this journey, and your insight now helps shape a national vision for a strong, supported, and thriving Kaimahi Māori workforce.
We are proud to share that the National Report is now complete. Over the coming weeks, we will begin sharing the findings across the motu, starting first with those who were part of the kaupapa.
Thank you for walking this path with us. This is your kōrero, your legacy, and our collective future.
Download a copy of Whakapakari Kaimahi Māori mō te Oranga me te Hiranga
Below is a list of current programmes delivered under the collective umbrella of ‘He Kura te Tāngata’.
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2 Cameron Street, Kaiwharawhara
Wellington
+64 4 473 9591 or 0800 628 284
communications@terauora.com
About Us
To improve Māori Health through leadership, education, research and evaluation, health workforce development and innovative, systemic transformation. We strengthen Māori health and wellbeing through nationally navigated and locally led solutions.