Nau mai, haere mai
E Tūwharetoa e!Kia āta whakatere i te wakaKei pariparia e te taiKei mōnenehu te kuraWhakamārotia atu anōKa whakahokia mai ki teKapua WhakapīpīKa mate kāinga tahiKa ora kāinga rua.(nā Tamamutu)
Our People
Ngāti Tūwharetoa is an iwi descended from Ngātoro-i-rangi, the priest who navigated the Arawa waka to Aotearoa.
The tribe consists of 26 hapū represented by 32 marae. The collective is bound together by the legacy of Ta Tumu Te Heuheu Tūkino VIII as the current Ariki.
47,103
people make up Ngāti Tūwharetoa, the 6th largest iwi in New Zealand (Census, 2018)
50%
of Ngāti Tūwharetoa are under the age of 24 years
30%
of the estimated 11,130 Māori reside within the Tuwharetoa rohe
Our Vision
Transformative hauora for ngā uri o Ngati Tūwharetoa and those who call our whenua their home.
Build on the profound wisdom inherent in the cultures and traditions of indigenous peoples.
Celebrate and amplify cultural wisdom, recognising the power and resilience embedded within indigenous communities.
Acknowledge the historical injustices and systemic challenges faced by indigenous peoples, while offering a blueprint for change for Ngati Tūwharetoa grounded in our cultural strengths and aspirations.
Our History
Had a Te Tiriti responsive approach to health and worldviews been equally valued, holistic healthcare would have been the starting point and not a modern-day aspiration.
This is an intergenerational blight for NZ, denying all residents of this country an Indigenous holistic health approach and underpins a plethora of inequities in health outcomes.
As a result, the government has stated its commitment to building a national health system that will perform better for everyone.
Whakapā mai
In the spirit of partnership and collaboration, we must work together to walk this transformative journey together.
By implementing this approach with integrity, passion and a commitment to justice, we can create a future where Ngāti Tūwharetoa thrive, where health disparities are eliminated and where the principles of self-determination and cultural revitalisation are fully realised.
By embracing and integrating cultural identity into health design, development and delivery, we honour the strengths and knowledge that have been passed down through generations.
Cultural revitalisation serves as a powerful tool for healing and empowerment, enabling indigenous communities to reclaim our identity, strengthen hauora and oranga and foster intergenerational connections.