Māori Health Committee
Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takatini —
"My strength is not that of an individual, but that of a collective"
Māori whakataukī (proverb)
The purpose of the Committee is to recognise the place of Te Tiriti o Waitangi | The Treaty of Waitangi in Aotearoa New Zealand and the commitment of the College to Māori tangata whenua | Indigenous people of Aotearoa New Zealand.
The Māori Health Committee was established in 2007 and operates in a kaupapa Māori way according to tikanga Māori. In 2019, the Committee became a standing Committee of the Board.
For more information, read the Māori Health Committee By-law (PDF).
Membership
The Committee has representatives from across the College's Māori membership and works with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Committee to promote and advance health and wellbeing outcomes for Māori and Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples. This commitment is outlined in their Statement of Principles for Justice and Equity (PDF).
If you'd like to be a member on the Māori Health Committee, email your completed expression of interest form (DOC) to maorihealthcommittee@racp.org.nz
Committee members
- Dr Matthew Wheeler, Chair, Fellow representative – Haematology, General & Acute Care Medicine
- Dr Deneille Bligh, Advanced Trainee representative – Adult Medicine
- Dr Kristy MacFarlane, Fellow representative – Gastroenterology
- Dr Diana McNeill, Fellow representative – General & Acute Care Medicine
- Dr Nathaniel Triffitt, Advanced Trainee representative – General Medicine
- Dr Curtis Walker, Fellow representative – Nephrology, General & Acute Care Medicine
Pae Hautū members
Former chairs and deputy chairs of the Committee are known as Pae Hautū. Members appointed as Pae Hautū will provide advice to new leadership, in accordance with Māori cultural practice of knowledge sharing and don't have voting rights.
- Dr Danny De Lore, Deputy-Chair – Paediatrics & Child Health
Hauora Te Waka Hauora Pānui
Stay connected with us through the Te Waka Hauora Pānui eBulletin. It’s our way of keeping you informed about what’s happening in Māori health, education, practice, advocacy, and research.
Read the latest edition
Ka tangi te tīti
Ka tangi te kākā
Ka tangi hoki ahau
Tīhei mauri ora!
First and foremost, I hope this finds you all well as the spike in influenza and RSV gives us a late increase in patient numbers and sickness – just as the daffodils were sticking their heads up.
It is Manu Kōrero week for me in Tauranga, and I feel so lucky to have children who want to practise and learn (this at least). For my youngest, who is five, all she has to do is the tauparapara and her pepeha – but, man, she wants to give it a go, morning and night!
Over the last quarter, we have otherwise been all action and did not slow down for winter at all.
To those who attended the Māori Trainee Wānanga, I hope you had a fulfilling and useful time. We were able to connect at Zealandia and then learn together at the College over a full two days. It was great meeting more new faces and reconnect with others. To those who missed out, think about coming along next year. These are one of the few opportunities for us as Māori to gather at the College and support each other.
The creation and development of the Indigenous Curriculum continues, and we meet next month to see what it looks like and provide feedback. This is a great example of the College doing what it should, now that we have Te Tiriti embedded in the Constitution. This work will continue as we interlace it throughout all areas of the College.
The Māori Health Committee, together with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Committee, met with the new Board, Chair and President. We had a day of education from the Institute of Directors, including teaching about kotahitanga and Māori principles of governance.
This was a wonderful and heartening experience – seeing the appointed and elected members really listening to and absorbing these principles. It was important for the Māori Health Committee to start fresh with this new Board and ensure they understand our principles and values.
I attended the Te Oranga Kura Reo, and it was wonderful to see other College members there as well – celebrating and demonstrating what we do out there. It was awesome to see the next generation coming through and to share time with them.
It was particularly special, coming from Kāi Tahu, to be in the takiwā and have the opportunity to visit important sites such as Kaiapoi Pā and hear the kōrero from our people.
If anyone is feeling itchy at the lack of equity in action in Te Whatu Ora, remember there is always the College. We have many places and spaces for people to advocate in and are always looking for more trainees and Fellows – and we still have a space or two on the Committee itself.
Email us if you are interested.
No reira, e mihi ana ki a koutou i tō koutou mahi mutukore nei.
Tēnā koutou
Tēnā koutou
Tēnā koutou katoa
Otiria
Tena tatou katoa
Dr Matt Wheeler
RACP Māori Health Committee Chair
Read more
Previous editions
Māori Health Hui
The Committee hosts a biennial Māori Health Hui for the College’s Māori members to reflect, connect and set the direction towards our goal of population parity for Māori in the physician and paediatrician workforce in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Hui reports
2019 (PDF)
2017 (PDF)