The power of Indigenous knowledge was a central focus at the New Zealand College of Public Health Medicine annual scientific meeting, Hui Pūtaiao a-tau, held in Rotorua in September.
Public health leaders, researchers and practitioners explored the theme Public health leadership in changing times: turning insights into action | Me huri ake te tirohanga kia ākina ki te anamata, through sessions on Rangatiratanga (leadership and traditional healing) and Taiao (leadership grounded in the natural world).
Among the University of Auckland academics invited to present was Māori Studies Associate Professor Dr Dan Hikuroa (Ngāti Maniapoto, Waikato-Tainui, Ngaati Whanaunga, Pākehā). He described the 17–18 September gathering as an opportunity to bring Indigenous knowledge into the public health space, framing te ao Māori as a foundation for achieving mauri ora (holistic wellbeing).
“This is a group of learned professionals that many of us trust implicitly,” said Dr Hikuroa. “To see them place so much importance on Indigenous knowledge—on how we frame our approach and use knowledge that is both accurate and precise—is truly heartening.”
Taiao and Kaitiakitanga
His presentation, Being a good ancestor – expressing our taiao relationships, invited attendees to consider how ancestral wisdom and environmental stewardship can guide public health leadership in changing times.
“Being a good ancestor is not just a metaphor—it’s a responsibility,” he said. “It means making decisions today that honour our whakapapa, protect the mauri of the taiao, and ensure the wellbeing of generations yet to come.”
Dr Hikuroa emphasised that taiao—the natural world and its interconnected systems—is not separate from humanity but entwined through whakapapa.
“We are not above nature, nor outside of it. We are part of it. Our ancestors understood this, and our descendants will depend on us remembering it.”
He described kaitiakitanga—guardianship of the environment—as a public health imperative.
“When we care for the land, the land cares for us. The health of our waterways, our forests, our soil—these are not just ecological concerns, they are public health concerns. The mauri of the taiao is directly linked to our own mauri ora.”
Indigenous Knowledge as a Complementary System
Dr Hikuroa urged public health professionals to embrace mātauranga Māori not as an add-on to Western science but as a complementary and equally valid system.
“Indigenous knowledge is not anecdotal—it is empirical, tested over generations. It offers precision, depth and a relational lens that Western frameworks often lack.”
He challenged his peers to reflect on their roles as ancestors-in-the-making:
“Every policy, every intervention, every decision we make in public health must ask: is this tika? Is this just and fair for those who come after us?”
Guiding principles such as manaakitanga (care and respect), whanaungatanga (relationships) and tika (justice) should underpin leadership.
“Leadership is not about control—it’s about connection. It’s about listening to the land, to the people, and to the stories that shape us.”
A Turning Point for Public Health
NZCPHM President Professor Sir Collin Tukuitonga said the annual meeting’s theme was timely and relevant as the sector faces climate change, inequity and systemic transformation.
“This was a great opportunity for our members to reflect on public health leadership in the current context,” he said.
