November 14, 2018
Pūrākau leading to better health
A top of the South Island iwi wants to use storytelling as the basis for its health and wellness strategy.
Kaikaiawaro Charitable Trust, the charitable arm of Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Kuia, has received Health Research Council funding to capture pūrākau and turn them into action.
Rūnanga general manager David Johnston says iwi researchers will work with Waikato University's Te Kotahi Research Institute.
"What I think makes it different is they are going to walk alongside us, they are going to help train us so our people are helping with the interviews with the wānanga, but by them sharing their expertise and guidance we are learning in terms of the doing of the research, the capturing of those stories of our people both historic and contemporary, so we are excited the process and where it could lead," he says.
Mr Johnston says sharing pūrākau has already led to the resurgence of rongoā strategies to connect whānau back to their whenua and traditional healing practices.
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