June 17, 2024
Veterans seek rongoā care
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A veteran of the Malaya conflict is calling for government funding for rongoā Māori treatments.
Hemana Waaka, of Ngai Tūhoe, has interviewed Malaya, Borneo and Vietnam veterans about their experiences and the health problems they have endured, including the aftereffects of the defoliant Agent Orange.
He says western medicine can’t provide the holistic care that rongoā provides for the body, mind and spirit – and he wants rongoā treatment for vetrans and their families to be eligible for government funding.
“Unfortunately, when we talk about the hinengaro, the wairua, of a person inside of a human body – pākeha can not relate to us in that. Only Maori can relate to what we are talking about,” Mr Waaka says.
He’s been holding care seminars for veterans around the country, with the last one at Awanuiārangi, in Whakatane, at the end of this month.