NGĀ MAIA

LISA KELLY NGĀ MAIA BOARD MEMBER (NGAI TAI)

Popoia te kākano kia puāwai (Nurture the seed and it will bloom)

On 11 June 2021, Ngā Maia held its first ever national Māori midwifery student hui. 148 participants, including 65 midwifery students from across the five midwifery education providers attended our three-day hui at Houghtons bush camp, Muriwai Beach, Kumeu.

Nestled amongst the ngahere, our tauira, midwives and tautoko whānau were treated to a range of guest speakers and workshops, including taonga pūoro artist Hira Moewaka Latimer, who blessed us with the reverberating hum of the pūrerehua and lulling tones of the hue puruhau. Rongoā, harakeke harvest and prep for pito ties, Wahine Marohirohi and Hine ora hine tu, to name some of the matauranga, were all eagerley soaked up by those present, desperately needing to fill their half-empty cups with tūpuna knowledge. Facilitated group workshops allowed tauira to express their views on what’s working and what’s not within their midwifery schools, and it became even more apparent the mamae felt due to the disconnect between tauira and their respective midwifery education providers.

Our hui could not have come at a better time with the launch of the joint project Te Ara Ō Hine – Tapu Ora between the Ministry and the midwifery education providers, aimed at addressing the issues and many barriers that tauira face while studying. One such issue is the lack of cultural sensitivity and knowledge of whānau Māori dynamics that impact on students’ ability to complete their degree. We heard of single income māmā travelling long distances to attend school without the support of whānau, limited accommodation and no funds to support this hardship, while dealing with culturally insensitive marking of papers and lack of tikanga processes within the institutions. One could argue, why give $6 million to the very source of failure for our Māori and Pasifika students? You can rest assured that these current midwifery tauira, if nurtured, will bloom into some fierce, dynamic and powerfully authentic midwives who will push the boundaries, demanding te Tiriti is honoured across the spectrum, ensuring equitable health outcomes for Māori and Pasifika whānau. This hui will be the first of many, to allow students to articulate their needs and ensure they reach the end goal that is their tohu, so they can then provide the care that whānau need and want and only we can give to our own: true tino rangatiratanga.

Ngā Maia national Māori midwifery student hui.

Ngā Maia have also been busy setting up regional roopu, with our latest addition being Ngā Maia ki Waiariki. This rohe includes Tauranga moana, Whakatāne, Opōtiki and the coast, Rotorua and Taupo, with 30 new members. The roopu adds to our collective of Māori midwives and student midwives servicing our high Māori population with a booming birth rate. Now more than ever, as our whānau are facing more challenges forced by Covid-19, the presence of a Māori health provider goes a long way in making healthcare more equitable, in a system that continues to fail Māori at every turn. The day a woman can choose a midwife who shares her values, principles and hails from the same iwi, will be a day to celebrate, and at this rate we are not far off. Wouldn’t you want to choose this for your sister, daughter, niece and mokopuna? square