More than 200 Māori student nurses and teachers from across Aotearoa will visit our Mt Albert campus for the annual Māori Nurses’ Hui this week.
The hui will cover the continuum of support available for Māori nursing students, and provide the opportunity for the nursing community to hear from a range of Māori health experts. With Māori over-represented in New Zealand’s health statistics, it’s an important event to keep the momentum going in tackling Māori health issues.
Our Dean of Teaching and Learning, Mātauranga Māori, Josie Keelan, says the hui brings the Māori nursing community together to share their experiences, their knowledge of their profession and explore new ways of thinking and doing.
Whaea Josie is one of the Unitec staff contributing to the programme and she will be running a session about the mysteries, challenges and triumphs of Mātauranga Maori: “I’m telling the story of Mātauranga, a genderless being who grows through the knowledge of the tangata. Mātauranga will provide examples of how tangata add growth and will also talk about the challenges faced when ‘others’ seek to deny its existence or block access to its value.”
A powhiri for the nurses and guests will take place at our Te Noho Kotahitanga Marae on Tuesday morning. Due to the size of the Hui, the sessions will be held both on our campus and at the larger Te Mahurehure Marae in Point Chevalier.