Rongoā Māori services
He ringa nā Rongo, he ringa nā te aroha.
The hands of peace are the hands of love.
This whakataukī is a taonga (treasure) gifted to us with great consideration by Turei Ormsby (ACC). It suggests that only good can come from the rongoā Māori pathway we’re taking.
We’re introducing a new range of kaupapa Māori services to ensure services that are by Māori, with Māori, and for Māori are available for all injured New Zealanders, to help them rehabilitate from a covered injury.
This includes giving better access to rongoā Māori (traditional Māori healing). We do this as part of our commitment to improve options, care, experience and outcomes for Māori.
Rongoā Māori a traditional healing choice for all
Video transcript for Rongoā Māori a traditional healing choice for all
Visual:
Close-up of Donna Kerridge standing in front of a Māori archway. Words appear on-screen, they read: Donna Kerridge, Rongoā Māori practitioner."
Transcript:
Donna: “Rongoā Māori is different from westernised medicine”.
Transcript:
Donna: “Because we try to ensure that we help position the person to maximise their healing first.”
Visual:
Cuts to Donna speaking to the camera in an interview room in front of a dark blue background, then cuts to her greeting a client.
Transcript:
Donna: “…so we make sure that we take care of their mana, their self-esteem.”
Visual:
The client lays down on the table and Donna begins giving them rongoā Māori treatment.
Transcript:
Donna: “We make sure that all of those things that help keep them strong and more receptive to healing are in-place first and foremost.”
Visual:
Donna performs a karakia (prayer) over the client with her eyes closed.
Transcript:
Donna: “In rongoā Māori, healers will use a number of techniques,
Visual:
Close-up of Donna using traditional healing tools to perform body therapy on the client’s legs. Cuts to close-up of the client’s head.
Transcript:
Donna: “…and you might hear terms like Mirimiri, Romiromi, Karakia.”
Visual:
Wide shot of Donna performing the treatment. Cuts to close-up of Donna’s hands.
Transcript:
Donna: “Mirimiri and Romiromi are body therapies; soothing the soul.”
Visual:
Cuts to close-up of Donna using a traditional tool to heal the client’s hand. Cuts to shot of native plants in the sun.
Transcript:
Donna: “If we can settle the wairua in people, we address their anxiety, and fears, and things that block their healing.
Visual:
Cuts to a shot of Anaru Hodges standing on his property. Words appear on screen, they read: “Anaru Hodges received care from rongoā Māori practitioner Charlotte Mildon for a gardening injury.” Cuts to a close-up of Anaru’s head laying down during treatment.
Transcript:
Anaru: "I drew a lot of positives from my experience with accessing Charlotte's service.”
Visual:
Camera cuts to different areas of his body receiving rongoā Māori treatment from the practitioner. Cuts to a close-up of the practitioner’s face.
Transcript:
Anaru: "There was a lot of hidden gems there."
Visual:
Cuts to Anaru sitting on his couch talking to the camera.
Transcript:
Anaru: "The initial purpose was to address the lower back injury,
Visual:
Words appear on-screen, they read: “Anaru Hodges, Rongoā Māori client”.
Transcript:
Anaru: “...but she could see that there was other ailments that was affecting my..."
Visual:
Camera cuts to practitioner performing treatment on Anaru’s feet. Cuts to treating other areas of his body with body therapy.
Transcript:
Anaru: "...my whole tahi tinana, my whole physical body and mind."
Visual:
Cuts to a shot of native plants. Words appear on-screen, they read: “He is now aiming to use the knowledge he has gained to improve his wellbeing.” Cuts back to Anaru on the couch.
Transcript:
Anaru: "I've realised that I had strayed so far from my culture that I probably needed to come back to it."
Visual:
Cuts to Anaru receiving more body therapy. Cuts to close-up of the practitioner’s face, then to Anaru’s as he receives treatment
Transcript:
Anaru: "And those things that were harming me weren't really traditionally a part of how our people used to..."
Visual:
Cuts to Anaru mowing the lawn by his lemon tree. Cuts to Anaru picking lemons from the tree.
Transcript:
Anaru: "...how they would live, how they would take care of themselves.”
Visual:
Close-up on Anaru picking the fruit from the tree.
Transcript:
Anaru: "Their holistic approach to wellbeing was actually an approach that worked and served them well."
Visual:
Camera cuts to sun shining through native plants, then cuts to Donna Kerridge walking down a trail through some trees.
Transcript:
Donna: "The gifts that have been given to us, by those who went before us..."
Visual:
Close-up of Donna’s hands and face as she takes-in nature.
Transcript:
Donna: "...wasn't for us to keep and hold for our own self-importance."
Visual:
Close-up of Donna picking a toadstool from the ground. Cuts to Donna back in the interview room.
Transcript:
Donna: "When we accepted that knowledge and that training, it was to help all who come to us for help."
Visual:
Cuts to panning blurred shot of traditional rongoā Māori healing plants, which clears as it becomes products.
Transcript:
Donna: "We don't go 'Oh, you're from England, we can't work with you'."
Visual:
Cuts to close-up of the traditional tools that are used in rongoā Māori.
Transcript:
Donna: "It's not uniquely for Māori, its for the benefit of all who reside here."
Visual:
Cuts to Donna performing a karakia as she treats her client, before cutting to her performing body therapy with traditional tools.
Transcript:
Donna: "We're interested in the long game and ensuring that people heal for the long term, and avoid future or repetitive injuries."
Visual:
Cuts to a shot of a native plant. Words appear on-screen, they read: “ACC offers rongoā Māori to New Zealanders as per of our rehabilitation services.” Cuts to Anaru sitting on his couch.
Transcript:
Anaru: "I think it's a milestone how a Government department can acknowledge the importance of this form of therapy."
Visual:
Cuts back to Anaru receiving treatment from his practitioner.
Transcript:
Anaru: "I think it's the beginning of something that can lead to other positive health outcomes for Māori..."
Visual:
Cuts to more close-ups of the hands performing his body therapy treatment.
Transcript:
Anaru: "...and choices that they can have to reach their health goals."
Visual:
Cuts to Anaru receiving treatment on his feet. Cuts back to Donna in the interview room.
Transcript:
Donna: "My aspirations for rongoā Māori in the future..."
Visual:
Cuts back to Donna standing among the trees and native plants.
Transcript:
Donna: "...are for us to see that rongoā Māori in its own right is a health profession."
Visual:
Donna walks across a bridge with her traditional Māori walking stick (Tokotoko).
Transcript:
Donna: "I think the western health and healing system is awesome, it's not better, it's not worse."
Visual:
Cuts back to Donna performing body therapy on her client, then cuts back to the interview room.
Transcript:
Donna: "I think that all people in Aotearoa are richer for the choice."
Visual:
Donna stands in front of a nature reserve and takes it in.
Transcript:
Donna: "And I would like to see the people of Aotearoa..."
Visual:
Cuts to close-up of Donna’s face, before cutting to her performing body therapy on her client.
Transcript:
Donna: "...to be able to make informed choices about all the healing options that are available to them."
Visual:
Donna performs a final karakia on her client. The screen fades to blue. White words appear onscreen.
Prevention – He Kaupare. Care – He Manaaki. Recovery – He Whakaora. ACC Logo appears with a line saying learn more at acc.co.nz.
Rongoā when you're injured
Find out how rongoā will help you rehabilitate, what to do to use rongoā Māori services and what we'll pay for.
Rongoā as a practitioner
Find out how to register with ACC as a rongoā Māori practitioner, how we pay for rongoā Māori services, and how our clients can access these services.
How we recognise rongoā Māori
We recognise rongoā Māori as a kaupapa Māori service. It’s culturally grounded care that weaves tikanga Māori, mātauranga Māori, te reo Māori, and te ao Māori through all aspects of the service. We respect that these aspects embrace ngā taonga tuku iho (intergenerational gifts and knowledge handed down from tupuna Māori). So we expect rongoā practitioners to whakapapa (affirm their connection) to ngā taonga tuku iho.
We're guided by the Waitangi Tribunal’s definition from the Ko Aotearoa Tēnei report that describes rongoā Māori as ‘a multi-dimensional form of care and healing’.
We see rongoā Māori in the wider context of traditional Māori healing methodologies. This covers various methodologies, including (but not limited to):
- mirimiri (bodywork)
- whitiwhiti kōrero (support and advice)
- karakia (prayer).
We don’t consider healing techniques from non-Māori cultural traditions, such as reiki or hyperbaric oxygen treatment, part of rongoā Māori. Even if they’re provided by rongoā Māori practitioners.
