Te Whare Pora; mātauranga Māori pregnancy, birthing and beyond

Three kairangahau/kaimahi discuss concepts, mātauranga and practice in relation to Te Whare Pora. Their mahi is part of a move for whānau to be embraced within Te Whare Pora, rather than driven by clinical approaches where being Māori might be considered or accommodated. Te Whare Pora provides the tūrangawaewae where multiple practices can be embraced within our conceptual, spiritual, and physical spaces.

Helen Moewaka-Barnes

Director of Whāriki Research Centre, Massey University·(Te Kapotai, Ngāpuhi)

Helen is the Director of Whāriki and Co-director of the SHORE and Whāriki Research Centre, College of Health, Massey University and a Pou Patai with Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga. Her mahi involves rangahau across many areas; more recently Māori media, relationships between the health of people and the health of environments, tamariki and whanau ora, haputanga and mātauranga Māori birthing. Her work is both qualitative and quantitative and she is also involved in developing research and practice grounded in te ao Māori.

Niwa Brightwell

Choices Health Kahungunu·Ko Kahungunu, Taranaki, Muaūpoko me Rongowhakaata oku iwi

Ko Kahungunu, Taranaki, Muaūpoko me Rongowhakaata oku iwi He mokopuna ahau o Maunga Taranaki Ko Niwa Ngamare Whakataka Brightwell taku ingoa   I come from a lineage of weavers, and began the journey of weaving at the side of my mother Tracey MacGregor and my Aunty Pare Bennett, who were taught by Erenora Puketapu. Later as an adult I was lucky enough to be taught by Fiona Jones, that opened me to new levels of skill and finesse. My background is in secondary education with predominantly Māori kōhine and now I am working for Choices Health Kahungunu, a raranga programme for hapū māmā and whānau to weave their own taonga as part of preparing for pēpi. Tīkanga, pūrākau and whakapapa are woven with words while we weave. I am interested pre European Māori textiles, the techniques and the tīpuna knowledge that resides within. I try and recreate these in different projects using muka. The healing, calm and soothing nga mahi o te Wharepora brings, is the birth right of wahine Māori. My mahi is to share this taonga as it has been shared with me.   Ka rongo te Mauri o Hine te iwaiwa ā te Wharepora See More

Hiramarie Moewaka Latimer

Mātauranga Māori Birthing Practitioner·Ngāpuhi Nui Tonu

Hiramarie is the founder of Te Whare Mamahu, a kaupapa Māori, whānau-led birthing whare based in Tāmaki Makaurau. She works with young mama practicing mahi rongoa and mahi rangahau at Whariki Research Centre with a particular focus on mana wahinetanga. She believes holding space and wānanga for whānau tangata whenua on tikanga Maori birthing practices and working together to navigate those tikanga in a modern setting.