Hon Tariana Turia
Associate Minister of Health

Toitu Maori Health Leadership Summit 2012
Silverstream Retreat, Lower Hutt
Monday 9 July 2012; 6pm SPEECH

Toitu, the word, is such a rich name for this event. It is interpreted in many ways, ‘enduring’, ‘untouched’, ‘kept pure’, ‘protected’ – all of these words and meanings bring with it a sense of strength and empowerment.

I have a special association to this word Toitu – it links us directly to one of our tupuna – Tinirau. He left us the challenge Toitu te kupu; toitu te mana; toitu te whenua.

His words carry a deep understanding – a call to hold fast to our culture for without our language; without the land; without the spirit of being tangata whenua; our essence would be diminished.

When you attach that word then to an event such as this, what it does is anchor our planning and thinking as we look to the future, towards the year 2030, and towards a horizon of hope for achieving true well-being for our communities.

This is a very exciting event, to be part of a biennial forum which brings together existing and emerging leaders; to share skills and knowledge; and to explore and debate what Māori leadership is – and how to grow it.

I mihi to Roma Hippolite; (the chairperson of Te Rau Matatini), Trish Davis; (the Chief Executive of Te Rau Matatini) - and the staff and the Board of Te Rau Matatini who have called us together tonight. Those who have kept sight of the horizon, while anchoring us here to the shore – tena koutou.

It is wonderful to again be amongst you as you cast your eye into that future, and pull that horizon closer to us once again. At the very hub of this hui is the significance of developing strategic relationships and partnerships; to look at the here and now –while focusing on the future.

As I stand before you tonight, my mind keeps turning back to the saying by Dr Rangitākuku Metekingi, our uncle of Whanganui, Ngāti Apa:

“Ko te pae tawhiti whaia kia tata, ko te pae tata whakamaua kia tina”
“Seek out the distant horizons and pull them closer, hold steadfast to the ones that you have already attained.”

Our tupuna cast the rope far out into the horizon many years ago, and over generations we have slowly, and turn after turn, taken hold of that same rope and pulled our people forward into that future.

That is the task that we have inherited from our tupuna, and those of us gathered here tonight, are but one tranche of hands upon the rope that will pull our aspirations, dreams and wellbeing closer to our shores.

Leadership is knowing you are a part of the grand scheme of things, and that what you do today can help continue the steady momentum required to navigate our whanau, hapu and iwi through to te pae tawhiti, te pae o te maramatanga.

Toitu is also a reminder that not only is our vision enduring, but that as people, we too must persevere in our pursuits.

And so it is wonderful that two years on from the first strategic planning gathering – we have come together again to continue the korero, to refine our thinking, and to take the next step in our shared journey towards achieving our aspirations.

The last time I addressed this forum, I talked about the hope, and the challenges that face us when looking into the global health context, while also developing strategies to advance Maori health aspirations.

Since that time you have progressed your approaches towards achieving a higher standard of health for Maori communities within the areas of health, mental health, and addictions.

The focus of this hui is honed into advancing Māori leadership development across the health sector, including pathways into clinical and professional leadership through scholarships, mentorship, leadership networks and opportunities for inspiration such as this summit. It is really positive that leadership is being planned for; and a comprehensive approach is being taken to addressing workforce development needs as well as developing specific competencies.

But I would also remind us that leadership is a legacy within our kaupapa – it has been passed down in the health sector from people such as Te Puea Herangi; Sir Maui Pomare; Henry Rongomau Bennett, Dr Irihapeti Ramsden to name a few – and of course our living legend, Professor Sir Mason Durie - one of our pre-eminent Maori thinkers, philosophers, and mentors.

Sometimes we are so focused on the forward plan, that we overlook the amazing examples left to us in our own tribal experience.

I have mentioned two of our Whanganui leaders – Tinirau and Metekingi – and I want to introduce you to another, Hinengakau.

For uri of Whanganui our awa tupua is the rope that binds all the whanau together from the mountain to the sea. It is Te taurawhiri o Hinengakau the plaited rope of our ancestress.

I love the image of the plaited rope of muka tangata – the many threads of whakapapa, carefully interwoven to maximise the strength of the people. In many ways this is the essence of Whānau Ora.

Whānau Ora is not the end point of the journey set for us by our tupuna; or the knot at the end of the rope. It is in fact the sacred rope in its entirety, complete with each twist and turn.

The strength of the taura is in the combination and collaboration of our tikanga, our views, or our kaupapa Maori approaches. But it is also in bringing together all of the various elements that serve to support and sustain our strength as whānau.

We are tired of our lives being segmented into separate silos – a health problem, a justice issue, an educational matter.

And even more frustrating is that within the separate silos, issues are compartmentalised further – treating individuals with diabetes or not including the whānau - addressing lifestyle habits or nutrition; insulating the home without first doing basic repairs and maintenance; focusing on one member of the family as an individual client without looking at the health of the whānau as a whole.

Whānau Ora encourages multiple and self-determined outcomes; it is about enabling whanau to have control over how they are treated; it is an approach which respects and values relationships as a key component of wellbeing.

If you dissect a rope, pulling apart the various strands, it starts to fray at the edges; it thins out and eventually it can break.

That is why one of the key priorities for me in Whānau Ora has been in integrating contracts; as well as connecting whānau to strengthen and consolidate our potential. It is in our collective force that we can achieve the most enduring outcomes, because we can set in place the attitude change to help our future generations navigate their way ahead.

I understand that over the next two days you are aiming to look at all of the various strands brought together in Summit 2010, in order to prepare for the Toitu Hauora Māori 2030 Strategic framework.

As you look into the crystal ball and try to predict and prepare for the decades ahead; your greatest resource will be thinking of your whānau –particularly our rangatahi of today; our leaders of tomorrow.

What do we know of their priorities? What strategies are we preparing to build their resilience; to enable them to adjust to change or challenge? How much investment are we making into the dynamics of whanaungatanga; the glue of relationships that builds our sense of connection?

There may well be some statistical and demographical context that will help you in your forward planning. I am thinking say of the 103,000 Māori who are not in education, employment and training. What will the future be like for the 220,000 children defined as living in the conditions of poverty as others describe them? Are we preparing for a future in which the proportion of Māori, Pasifika and Asian populations will be much greater than now?

And then we must surely understand the intersecting effects between socio-economic determinants and health inequalities – even a cursory understanding of the presentation of recurrent skin infections, or rheumatic fever or acute respiratory conditions amongst Māori and Pasifika communities will illustrate an instant list of priorities where health leadership is urgently needed.

It is not difficult to realise the contribution of poor housing, low income, health literacy issues.

One of the things I want to really commend you on is the involvement of schools in sending rangatahi to this hui and groups like Kia ora Hau Ora being here today. We must listen to their wisdom and invite them to also help to determine the shape of the future framework.

And I am also thrilled to see the priority you have placed on stories – stories from the sector, leadership journeys – as the basis for change.

One of the greatest hopes that I have for Whanau Ora is that when it does mature enough to bear fruit, that fruit will reflect our own tangata whenua concepts of success and wellbeing; and will in the same way connect us back to the aspirations of our tupuna.

The leadership that people in this hui can bring about in defining this space, by connecting our matauranga, our concepts of wellbeing, with the aspirations of whanau – will be fundamental in improving health and wellbeing outcomes.

Your vision in carving out the right plan for Māori leadership in health towards 2030 must strive to place the wellbeing of whānau as much a hallmark of 2030, as it was in the leadership of those before us.

I wish you all well in having the courage to carry the aspirations of our tupuna, and to stand up for what we know to be right.

Tikanga demands this of us. To do the right thing at the right time, in the right way.

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