Taurikura: Actualising hauora through a return to Waiora

Ko te wai te oranga o ngā mea katoa | Water is the life giver of all things.

For more than twelve months, Healthy Families East Cape have been working collaboratively to explore a Te Ao Māori approach to water safety with whānau and their pēpi across Te Tairāwhiti. The initiative, Taurikura, is grounded in a Māori worldview and draws upon the foundations of mātauranga Māori to impact and improve wellbeing for whānau, hapu and iwi in, on and around the water. 

Te Tairāwhiti is a region that sits on approximately 270kms of coastline. When it comes to water safety in the region, more than 50% of drownings in Tairāwhiti occurred at beaches, with drowning also being one of the top ten causes of death worldwide (WHO, 2014). In 2023, Māori accounted for 31% of all drownings in Aotearoa, despite only making up 17.1% of the population (Water Safety New Zealand, 2021). 

In our rohe, our relationship with wai (water) is multi-faceted, extending to kai and kai gathering where Māori, usually tāne and fathers at an average age of 40 years old, can be found around the Tairāwhiti coast on rocks and under water utilising the abundance of kaimoana to feed whānau throughout the region. At the heart of Gisborne city is also the Waimata and Taruheru rivers which join to form the Tūranganui River making Gisborne the ideal rohe for river water sports such as waka ama and rowing, and water play. As the giver of life for Māori, water has always been an opportunity for residents in our region to reconnect with our waterways, whether that be the moana, awa or roto – and an opportunity for us to explore our unique relationship with water. 

However, access to water safety services is somewhat limited, particularly water safety that is grounded in a Māori worldview and that encapsulates the importance of our connection to water through whakapapa, mātauranga and tikanga around wai. Traditionally, how Māori engage with wai is intrinsically connected to our identity, with strong connections to wai promoting good health, as it is through water that Māori derive their understanding of wellbeing (Durie, 2001).  

Māori continue to be over-represented in Aotearoa’s drowning statistics and overall statistics relating to chronic illnesses.  

The Taurikura initiative addresses these issues by creating a supportive, whānau and tikanga-led environment centred around the education of swimming for pēpi. The initiative has so far been instrumental in identifying the systemic barriers that exist for Māori and tamariki participation in the wider play and active recreation system, with a high rate of chronic illnesses being an inevitable outcome for Māori in adulthood across our region. It has also brought to the forefront unsettling experiences that many whānau Māori face when navigating services and programs for their young children so that they can experience water play “in a Māori way”. 

“After having our daughter at the end of 2022, we dreamt of her attending swimming lessons from a young age, when we enquired with local services we were put onto waiting lists and realised that there was a lack of services for mama and pepi in Tairawhiti that focused on the unique connection of māmā and pēpi Māori to the wai. This showed there was a need for something that focused on te ao maori for tamariki under the age of 5. That the creation of Taurikura has bridged this gap within the community. To call Taurikura a swimming program does not do the depth of the kaupapa justice. Taurikura is so much more than that, with a focus on whakapapa, and our connection to Te Āo Māori both as māmā and our pēpi is truly special and unique. To nurture our pēpi relationship to wai is a lifelong connection that they will carry with them throughout their lives. As a coastal Nation, it is so important that our pēpi develop this relationship early, so that they can be safe in the many waterways they connect with throughout their lives, but also so they can take care of those waterways, the animals within them and the people that swim there for the future generations.” 

Mātauranga Māori and whānau-centred approaches enable Māori to both survive and, in many cases, excel despite the many serious challenges imposed on Māori by systemic barriers. Taurikura, which is delivered to whānau in te reo Māori and reo Pākeha, creates a safe environment for whānau Māori and especially tamariki to thrive in. Healthy Families East Cape and the Taurikura Kaupapa partners also see the approach being able to increasingly benefit non-Māori as well. 

“Taurikura partners, are committed to working alongside māmā, pēpi and their whānau to build a kaupapa māori approach to water confidence. What Taurikura does is prioritise hauora and highlights the importance of connection to the taiao, and creating environments where mātauranga māori through wai, improves whānau health and wellbeing.” says Tomairangi Higgins, Healthy Families East Cape Manager.  

Kaupapa partners, Comet Swimming Club have been leading the Kaupapa alongside Healthy Families East Cape, which has accelerated the attendance of whānau and their pēpi over the past year since its inception. Māmā, pāpā, tamariki and wider whanau have been participating in whānau-centric swimming lessons that are grounded in te ao Māori both inside and outside of the pool. This includes utilising the Maramataka, waiata and karakia to guide lessons and deepen whānau and tamariki connection to whakapapa, wai and te reo Māori. 

Taurikura partners also includes Ngā Wāhine Māori Toko i Te Ora – Ngati Uepohatu (Māori Women’s Welfare League). Identifying barriers along the way, such as a lack of funding and high costs for such services has meant that partners are looking at sustainable ways to fund the program and provide wrap around resources for participating whānau. A collective goal continues to be putting whānau voice and lived experiences at the centre of the initiative.  

Through Taurikura, māmā, their pēpi and wider whānau have been able to feel included, supported and a strong sense of belonging. Not only are māmā guiding and informing the lessons themselves, but some of the whakaaro is that they are empowered to impact on and shift conditions at a systems level for the betterment of the health and wellbeing of future generations, beginning with their own pēpi.  

If you are interested in knowing more about Taurikura, please contact: 
Tomairangi Higgins [email protected]