Connecting to the environment for better health outcomes

MEDIA RELEASE
25 February 2015

Connecting to the environment for better health outcomes

“Exploring Māori health from our own indigenous knowledge base, rather than as a reaction to prevailing Māori health crises is what we call a ‘kaupapa Māori approach’ for Māori health outcomes” says Leonie Matoe, Managing Director for Toi Tangata, an Auckland based Māori health provider providing advocacy and coordination for kaupapa Māori based approaches across the public health nutrition and physical activity sector.

“These approaches are diverse, catering to a range of physical and nutritional health demands in Māori communities. Its an area of innovation and discovery, and we know it is making a difference for many whānau and Māori communities out there” “Our Hui ā-Tau (annual conference) commenced yesterday at the Otago School of Physical Education in Karitane, Dunedin. The theme this year is “ Whetū, Wai, Whenua – Connecting Health and Māori Concepts of the Environment” and is drawn from the Atua Matua Health Framework developed by Dr Ihirangi Heke."

Throughout the hui
ā-tau participants can expect to learn more about the role of the environment in developing a more Māori based experience of nutrition, physical activity and greater health and well-being.

Building leadership capabilities in physical activity and nutrition will also be a hot topic at the hui ā-tau with speakers from a range of disciplines coming to share their views.

The hui will end with a day spent discussing the different knowledge pathways available to progress kaupapa Māori approaches in health with sessions set up to discuss “Food Security and Food Sovereignty” along with different university workshops.

Three Toi Tangata Innovation Awards worth $1,000 each will also be given to providers who demonstrate awesome nutrition and physical activities that enable whānau to flourish.

Toi Tangata will also be giving a Tauira Presentation Award worth $500 to a tertiary student who is conducting research or projects in nutrition and physical activity.

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