Ngā Māia: looking ahead

Tēnā koutou ngā māreikura o te motu nei

Ngā kahu pōkai

Nā wai te whare nei e?

Nā tuhi mareikura te whare nei e Nāu e hine i karanga

Nāu e hine i koingo

Ko koe

Ngā Māia came together in November 2022 for our long awaited hui-a-tau, held in Ōtautahi at the Tai Tapu Community Centre and hosted by our amazing whānau and regional roopu Ngā Māia Māori Midwives Ki Tahu. An opportunity for our kahu pōkai across the motu to come together and celebrate our achievements and successes, deliberate over our plans for the future and commit to reclaiming our birthing traditions for the wellbeing of our whānau. Since its inception, Ngā Māia has maintained its philosophy to protect whānau, hapū, and iwi values and aspirations towards Māori birthing practices and provide a voice for whānau Māori to participate in maintaining and developing our traditions. Nāu te whatu Māori - through the eye of Māori.

Our theme for hui-a-tau was Mana whenua, mana whānau, mana motuhake; a beautiful theme incorporated throughout the hui with guest speakers and knowledge holders such as: Ruatau Perez - kairongoā and former tauira of Papa Jo Delamere (tohunga of Ngā Māia past); Mahina-Ina Kingi-Kaui - taonga pūoro practitioner; and our own Annmarie Taiapa-Johnson - sharing kaupapa Māori models of care through Matariki. We also had the pleasure of hearing from poet Raina Kingsley, young duet The Twins, who shared their experience of domestic violence through waiata, and Project Miere, a collaborative musical duo. And of course, our amazing tuahine and MC, Kelly Tikao.

We said haere rā to dedicated trustees Sarah Wills and Joyce Croft and welcomed into our trustee whānau Tawera TrinderTaranaki, and Dani Gibbs - Te Waipounamu. The mauri of Ngā Māia - held by Waikato since 2020 - was returned, and a tono put forward by regional roopu Ngā Māia Ki Waiāriki, our newly established roopu, in a very emotional ceremony upheld by Papa Rob and Whaea Crete. The mamae of the past were left in the past, to now focus on the future of Māori midwifery.

Looking to this new chapter of Ngā Māia, the karanga has been set to take up those positions you have always thought about, step outside your comfort zone, be unapologetic in your decision-making, and go forward as the mareikura that you are, noble at birth, a supernatural being that carries the mana and authority of your whānau, hapū and iwi.

This year we will welcome Ngā Māiaendorsed kahu pōkai Māori in newly established roles, such as Chief Clinical Advisor - Midwifery within Te Aka Whai Ora, midwifery workforce programme advisors to Te Whatu Ora, community workforce advisors, Kahu Taurima advisors, Māori midwifery educators and researcher roles and many more work streams, as we navigate our newly structured health system.

If you would like to know more about up-and-coming positions or roles, please contact us at ngamaia@gmail.com. We look forward to our new year beginning at the rising of Matariki with a bright future for iwi Māori. He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero. What is the food of leaders? It is communication. Kōrero mai. square