August 05, 2013
Rules warning over rongoa Māori
A registered herbalist and rongoa Māori practitioner is warning that traditional Māori healers need to tread warily around efforts to professionalise what they do.
Donna Kerridge from Helensville says issues of rules and registration caused heated debate at last month’s national rongoa Māori hui in Parihaka.
She says the way rongoa Māori is administered varies from place to place depending on who trained the healer.
Ms Kerridge says the Ministry of Health is keen to see a set of standards develop so it can contract for rongoa Māori services, but it trying to mitigate risk because it doesn’t fully understand traditional healing.
"The other thing too is the medical profession are trying to ensure they protect the integrity of their practice. They're really concerned about having to work alongside Māori and how it will impact their reputation. And I would have to say the reverse is true for rongoa Māori practitioners. I don't want some other practice telling me how I need to practise because I think that might impinge on what I think is the integrity of my practice," she says.
Communication is essential so the sides can understand what the issues are with working together.
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