(Extracts from a speech made by Tariana Turia at a conference in 2006 ref:( http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0602/S00123.htm) “….One of our kuia of the river turns one hundred this year. She is a woman who has never used western medicine, who walks every day and takes care to eat the right kai to maintain her wellness. Our kuia is not someone who interprets rongoa as being another name for traditional medicines, herbal treatments, or alternative therapy. Rongoa to her is about a total way of life, upholding tikanga Maori to achieve holistic health.
Rongoa is the way we talk to each other and to our children and our Matua Tupuna to ensure a healthy mind, a healthy body and a healthy spirit. Rongoa springs from an absolute belief in the total well-being of the wairua, tinana, hinengaro, whanau.
Mä te rongoa e whakaora pai noa iho. The tikanga of whakawhanaungatanga, how you relate to each other is as important to rongoa as is the extraction of healing properties from our flora and fauna….
Rongoa Maori can only sustain its ongoing value as a cultural asset if it retains our distinctive knowledge, our culturally valid codes of conduct, and our belief in our tikanga and kaupapa.
Rongoa Maori is more than a plant, it is more than karakia, it is more than core competencies in safe cultural and clinical practice. Rongoa Maori is about believing we can touch the sky, it is about believing in tangata whenua, it is a total package. Kimihia nga putake katoa o te kaupapa, ina kitea, kimihia nga rongoa.”
This a great speech and well worth the read of the whole article no matter what your political persuasion.
I haven’t read the whole article yet, although I intend to. Although the segment above is just awesome.
This Site is also a wonderful idea, and thank you Donna for all your continued efforts, we know you are busy too.