20 Apr And the dish ran away with the kamokamo- Oranga Marae, Oranga Tinana

Friday 20 April 2018
For immediate release

Local iwi runanga Ngati Ranginui, the Bay of Plenty District Health Board and Toi Tangata are leading the call to action for healthy kai on marae in the Bay of Plenty. With the aim to support and uplift marae whanau and community, various champions and leaders of hauora Māori will gather at Wairoa marae this weekend. They will deliver a hands on programme connecting the principles of mātauranga Māori and maramataka for kai (food) and wai (water) from a local perspective.

Toi Tangata CEO Megan Tunks says marae, Māori organisations and tribal entities can lead the way in setting healthy examples for their people in nutrition and physical activity.

“Toi Tangata is keen to work with local Māori leaders, groups and organisations to find ways to address issues such as the cost of healthy foods and reducing barriers for Māori health,” she says.

“Food pricing and accessibility, for Māori in particular, are key areas that we can influence and enhance the food system for better health outcomes for all communities. We are interested in working with multiple partners and sharing strategies that look at supporting access and facilitating knowledge. ”

Bay of Plenty District Health Board community educator and chef, Stephen Cameron, who is an oral health promoter with the Community Dental Services, will be on hand to contribute to the already impressive skills and actions of the hearts and hands that prepare kai on local marae. Using a practical approach to learning, participants will be supported to develop their own tikanga for kai based on the connections to their wharekai tīpuna

This star line up of community educators and champions will also include korero from Rereata Makiha on maramataka, the Māori lunar calendar which literally means the turning of the moon and marks the phases of the moon in a lunar month. With this knowledge system each phase was given a name and over time, was observed and assessed by its relationship to activities in the natural world. During a typical lunar month, some days are noted as being favourable for resource harvesting whereas other days are known to be unfavourable.

This collaboration concludes with the launch of Ngati Ranginui’s new six month programme ‘Mauri Ora Whānau Journey,’ a journey of wānanga and fun physical activities for the whole whānau.

For additional information please contact
Aroha Tito at Ngati Ranginui Iwi aroha.tito@ranginui.co.nz or 022 345 2171
Erina Korohina, Toi Tangata Kaiārahi, Nutrition erina@toitangata.co.nz or 022 326 5602