A Tīwaiwaka Approach to Oranga Ka ora te whenua, ka ora te tangata

Tīwaiwaka is a way forward, reconnecting an Indigenous understanding of oranga through connection to the mauri of te taiao. This article shares a whānau journey through my master’s thesis, utilising a memorandum of understanding (MOU) written by my late Pāpā and the Tīwaiwaka principles nā Pā Ropata. The influence of both my Pāpā and Pā Ropata in this kaupapa and its success is a reflection of them, their teachings, and aroha. They both shared a vision of ensuring that future generations are connected to their whenua, know who they are, and where they come from. Wānanga was used as a method of understanding, a whānau approach to implementing our whānau MOU through using the Tīwaiwaka principles as a waka to achieve reconnection and restoration of our papakāinga. Kotahitanga was a key theme of our whānau approach to this kaupapa, through supporting one another and using our differences as the gifts we bring. Listening to the whenua and what it needs is the foundation we work from. Importantly, this article demonstrates a Tīwaiwaka approach to achieving oranga for the whenua through a whānau-led kaupapa.