Hauora Māori

RANZCOG is committed to a sustainable and diverse O&G workforce that can address future hauora wāhine needs and expand services to better meet the health needs of Māori.

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RANZCOG recognises the special status of Māori as tangata whenua in Aotearoa New Zealand and is committed to meeting its obligations as te Tiriti o Waitangi partners.

We are committed to a sustainable and diverse O&G workforce that can meet future hauora wāhine needs and increasing services to better meet the health needs of Māori. We aim to equip future O&G specialists with the skills and cultural competence to serve Aotearoa’s diverse population in a culturally safe environment.

Learn more about Te Rautaki Maori me te Ara Whakamua, RANZCOG’s strategy and action plan created by He Hono Wāhine.

Kia ora tātou
E ngā maungā kōrero
E ngā wai tapu o te motu
E ngā hau e whā
Tēnā koutou (x3) katoa

He Hono Wāhine kaumātua Luke Crawford has provided the following mihi for opening RANZCOG meetings and events.

Read the Mihi English translation

Metaphorical translation

Greetings everyone
To those assembled from various parts
To those from all parts of the country
To those who have come from all over the land
Greetings, Salutation, Acknowledgements to you all.

Literal translation

Be well everyone
To the speaking mountains
To the sacred waterways of this land
To those from the four winds
Greetings, Salutation, Acknowledgements to you all.

Stay Connected

If you would like to be added to He Hono Wāhine’s Māori Student and PGY Network mailing list, please contact hauoramaori@ranzcog.org.nz.

Learn more about our training programs

Prospective trainees

RANZCOG and He Hono Wāhine are committed to supporting Māori medical students and PGYs interested in obstetrics and gynaecology.

O&G offers the unique opportunity to be at the forefront of women’s health, providing care that profoundly influences the lives of wāhine and their whānau.

As a Māori trainee, you’ll have the chance to:

Advocate for your communities
Address health disparities
Integrate cultural perspectives into your practice

The specialty also fosters strong relationships with patients and whānau, allowing you to make meaningful connections while promoting the wellbeing of Māori women.

He Hono Wāhine Hui-ā-tau

Hui-ā-tau, hosted by He Hono Wāhine, is held in March each year for RANZCOG Māori members and whānau, and any Māori medical students, and PGYs who are interested in O&G. Hui-ā-tau is always held on marae, as a place to engage, reflect and korero around hauora Māori in a relaxed and safe environment.

If you are interested in attending, please contact hauoramaori@ranzcog.org.nz.

Kete Māori

Waiata – Taku pa harakeke e

The waiata, Taku pā harakeke e, was gifted to Te Kahui Oranga ō Nuku for use at RANZCOG Aotearoa New Zealand hui and events.

Taku pā harakeke e was written with the help of Aotearoa singer/songwriter Maisey Rika at He Hono Wāhine’s Hui-ā-tau at Ōnuku Marae in October 2018. An audio recording will be added upon re-recording.

Taku pā harakeke e - My village, my family

Taku pā harakeke e

Ko te oranga o te iwi
he wāhine he Atua
te tapu o te whare tāngata
he oranga, he oranga

Ko te taonga nui o te ao
he mokopuna, he kākano
i ruia mai i Rangiātea
he taonga, he taonga

Te Kāhui Oranga ō Nuku e
he waipuna ora e
mai i te po ki te ao mārama

Taku pā harakeke e

My village, my family

The wellbeing of humankind
From Women and Gods
And the sacredness of childbirth
It is life it is life

The greatest gift in the world
A child and seed
Sown in Rangiātea
A gift and a treasure

The NZ Committee of RANZCOG
A wellspring of health
‘ab umbris ad lumina vitae’ ‘from shadows to the light of life’

My village my family

Get involved

The College has many opportunities for you to take part in and connect with the College before you choose
your specialty, including:

He Hono Wahine hui-a-tau
Sponsorship booths at Te ORA and Te Oranga wananga
Scholarships to attend the RANZCOG Annual Scientific Meeting

Mauri stone

A mauri stone holds energy, or essence, so people are invited to touch or hold the beautiful stone.

Kākāhu

Kākahu is the name given to contemporary Māori cloaks, a modern version of korowai, a traditional woven cloak made from different materials.

History

The RANZCOG mauri stone is pounamu sourced from the South Island of New Zealand in the tribal lands and waters of Ngāi Tahu and their subtribe Ngāti Waewae.

The pounamu was gifted to RANZCOG’s Aotearoa New Zealand committees Te Kāhui Oranga ō Nuku and He Hono Wāhine by kaumātua kuia Wendy Dallas-Katoa in June 2022 at a He Hono Wāhine meeting in Wellington.

On the same day, kaumātua rangatira Luke Crawford performed the whakatō Mauri tikanga to install Te Kāhui Oranga ō Nuku and He Hono Wāhine life force into the pounamu.

Significance and meaning

Pounamu (also known as jade or greenstone) is a highly valued, hard stone. Pounamu is often green, and has been used throughout Māori history for weapons, tools, and jewels.

The word mauri translates to life essence / life force and is strongly associated with the word wairua (spiritual) and tapu (sacred/set apart). Within the Māori world, everything possesses a mauri and the importance of an individual, an object or a things mauri is something which must be protected because mauri can be extinguished. Therefore, there should always be strong tikanga (customary practice) in place to ensure mauri is not only protected, but also that it is enhanced.

Tikanga Māori also allows for the safeguard of mauri by embedding the mauri into an animate object. Such an object should reside in a place with appropriate tikanga (processes and procedures) to ensure it is cared for and kept safe. While the host object differs depending upon tribal practices, the most common vessel housing mauri are kōhatu (stone).

Events

The RANZCOG mauri stone has been present at many significant RANZCOG events, including:

Aotearoa based Elevation and Award ceremonies
The opening of Djeembana
The inauguration of the second Aotearoa based RANZCOG President, Dr Gill Gibson

Purpose

He Hono Wāhine gifted RANZCOG three kākahu to support tikanga Māori being part of all activities within RANZCOG, to be used within the College for special events, and honours.

The kākahu and korowai is worn in moments of prestige and honour. Kākahu and korowai are used in te ao mārama (realm of the living) and te ao wairua (spiritual realm). Kākahu and korowai are symbolic of leadership, and status.

Significance and meaning

There are many different historical and contemporary contexts for wearing korowai or kākahu, for te ao mārama kaupapa such as graduation, acknowledgement of achievements, milestone life events, important hui, or a physical representation of a connection to Aotearoa and te ao Māori.

At te ao wairua kaupapa such as tangihanga (funerals) where the korowai is draped over the deceased to cover the coffin. Kākahu and korowai hold mauri (life essence) of a whānau (family) and whakapapa (genealogy). They’re held in the highest regard and worn with the highest form of respect.

There are specific names for the various styles of cloak. Kākahu in contemporary contexts refers to a full feather cloak. Traditional korowai is hand-woven in muka (flax tie) and can take an experienced weaver up to a year to complete.