# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The battle of the mountains - The love story that shaped our lands | nzherald.co.nz

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The battle of the mountains - The love story that shaped our lands | nzherald.co.nz

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Te pūrākau o Hine-ahu-one (The story of Hine-ahu-one)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Diane Tatana storytelling about Hine-Ahu-One

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Hineahuone - Aho Wahine: Book Two (English Version)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Hinenuitepō - Aho Wahine: Book Three (English Version)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Māori Gods, Book Four – Tāne and the Baskets of Knowledge (English version)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Māori Gods - Book One: The Beginning of the Universe (English)

# data[].attributes.headline
tane mahuta is nature and is the god on the forest  

# data[].attributes.subject
tane mahuta is nature and is the god on the forest  

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Rongoā is the traditional Māori healing system. Rongoā is a holistic practice that often includes using the medicinal properties of New Zealand native plants.

Early Māori and rongoā

Although early Māori may not have known what today's scientists know about our immune system, they had worked out how to treat diseases and infection. The use of rongoā prevented many sicknesses and provided remedies for those who were already sick. Joseph Banks, an 18th century scientist who travelled with Captain James Cook, observed that Māori were in good health and appeared to suffer from few diseases.

Traditionally, Māori had a holistic approach to healing. It included the mind, body and spirit - mauri (spark or life force), tapu (natural law) and wairua (spirit). Whakapapa (genealogy) was also a factor to consider in the healing process. Tohunga, the medical practitioners or healers of the Māori world, passed their knowledge down through the generations, and modern Māori healers still use many of the concepts and practices.

Rongoā fighting infection

Rongoā is still used extensively today - many of the medicines from plants are used to fight infection. It was, and still is, important that the gathering of rongoā plants be carried out in a sustainable way to ensure that there will still be some the next time it is needed. Some of these plants can be toxic and should only be prepared by people who have been trained in the art of rongoā.

The following plants are some examples of plants that can be used for rongoā and that are used to fight infection.

Koromiko
The young leaf tips can be chewed for diarrhoea and dysentery. Dried leaves sent to New Zealand soldiers in the Second World War for this purpose were very effective.

Koromiko leaves can also be used for ulcers and sores and have been used as a poultice on babies for skin sores. The active ingredient is phenolic glycocide.

Kōwhai
All the parts of the kōwhai including the bark, inner bark, flowers, leaves and juice can be used as rongoā. Kōwhai can be used for cuts, infected skin, wounds and skin diseases. Colds and sore throats have been treated with infused kōwhai bark. There are toxic alkaloids in the tree, so people have to prepare the rongoā carefully.

Harakeke (flax)
The sticky gum in flax is used as an external treatment for boils and wounds. Leaves can be used as a dressing to aid healing, and the juice acts as a disinfectant for wounds. A poultice of the root can be used to treat intestinal parasites.

In this article Stephen Tauwhare talks about The Harakeke Project and how scientific knowledge can be combined with traditional Māori knowledge. Watch this video to learn more about the medicinal benefits of harakeke.

Pōhutukawa
The inner bark, when infused, can be used to treat dysentery and diarrhoea (it contains ellagic acid), and the nectar of the flowers has helped to alleviate sore throats.

Pūriri
Pūriri leaves can be infused and used to treat ulcers and sore throats, best gargled and not swallowed

Kawakawa
The leaves can be used to heal cuts and wounds. Chewing the leaves eases the pain of toothache and abdominal distress.

High school student Chris Ryan researched the medicinal properties of kawakawa, read about it in this Connected journal article.

Fungi and rongoā

A number of fungi were used in rongoā, for example, pukurau (puffballs) were used to stop bleeding and for pain relief from scalds and burns. Learn more in the interactive below.

Nature of science

Activity ideas

Useful links

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Rongoā is the traditional Māori healing system. Rongoā is a holistic practice that often includes using the medicinal properties of New Zealand native plants.

# data[].attributes.body
It can basiclly heal anything from an eye irrattion to tooth aches.

# data[].attributes.body
What it can heal.

# data[].attributes.body
heals wounds
.

# data[].attributes.body
Tane mahuta is the god of every living thing in nature and also split his parents apart.

# data[].attributes.body
that it can heal you

# data[].attributes.body
i learnt that it cam heal things and its made by leefs

# data[].attributes.body
if it can heal differnent things .

# data[].attributes.body
how it is good

# data[].attributes.body
rongoa heals you .

# data[].attributes.body
rongoa heals you .

# data[].attributes.body
tane is known as the most tallest tree in newzealand . he also split his parents apart so there was light in the world .

# data[].attributes.body
tane mahuta is known as the warrior that split his parents apart. tane is know as the tallest tree in nz.

# data[].attributes.body
WE NEED KUMARAHO LEAVES AND KAW KAW LEAVES HONEY BLACK BERRIES 1 LITRE OF WATER  AND A SAUCE POT .

# data[].attributes.body
I learnt that they can make lots of other things with it

# data[].attributes.body
how it heals you

# data[].attributes.body
rongoa maori heals you

# data[].attributes.body
i leant how they gather the leafs

# data[].attributes.body
i wanna know more things that can heal u

# data[].attributes.body
rongoa maori can heal u

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Perhaps, it is safe to say that no other atua is more aspired and revered than Tāne. His relevance to us has remained throughout the generations and his character continues to inspire us in our daily lives. All the more, we need to pass on the stories of his unmatched persistence and his level-headed disposition.

The Origins of the God of the Forest

In the Māori creation story, Tāne is one of the many offsprings of Papatūānuku (earth) and Ranginui (sky). In his frustration amidst living in the darkness, he led his siblings to push their parents apart. Eventually, they escaped the darkness and let the light into the world.

As the trees stretch from the grounds to the clouds, we believe that the trees in the forest hold the earth and sky apart just like how Tāne held Papa and Rangi apart. Consequently, this makes the forest (ngahere) the realm of Tāne.

The Relevance of Tāne

Tāne is an indispensable character in the Māori culture because the ngahere is an essential source of food, shelter, and tools. He is the atua-god/guardian of mankind, birds, trees. In stories, we aspire to his level-headedness and persistence. His "big" job is to maintain the lush and diverse resources of the earth.

With these attributes, he became an example to many of us. His persistence and determination is unmatched, as it emanates in the narrative of how he pushed his parents apart. The story of his bravery and boldness inspires us, especially in the story of how he acquired the three baskets of knowledge in spite of all the challenges and obstacles. He inspires us to maintain harmonious relationships amidst differences in order to achieve a common goal; Tāne illustrated this in his cooperation with his brother Tāwhirimātea to defeat the insect-like demons even though they had their BIG differences (separation of their parents).

Even the largest tree in the whole of Aotearoa - Mahuta - is named after him. It is an outstanding symbol of strength and stature. Ultimately, he is the atua that we aspire to be like.

Tāne in Iwi Traditions

Tāne is a figure of great importance in iwi traditions. First, he separated earth and sky and brought this world into being. Also, he fashioned the first human. Furthermore, he adorned the heavens, and brought the baskets of knowledge, wisdom, and understanding down from the sky to human beings.

When the ancestors of Māori arrived in New Zealand, they found it was very different from their Polynesia. They had been primarily seafaring people. However, on these larger, colder islands, they also needed to know about the bush and its inhabitants. Eventually, these experiences led to the realisation that understanding the forest was vital to life. As Māori explored and learned about the forests, Tāne, the god of the forest, found an important place in tribal consciousness and traditions. Therefore, people developed a reverence for and knowledge of Te Waonui-a-Tāne - the great forest of Tāne.

The Many Names of Tāne

In the Māori culture, Tāne has different names to reflect his different roles. He is Tāne-mahuta as god of the forest, Tāne-te-wānanga as the bringer of knowledge, and Tāne nui-a-rangi as bringer of higher consciousness. His various names suggest someone who can defeat adversaries, and who is true, loyal, and authentic.

If you are keen to find out about his many other names here is a scholarly article.

These are only a few of the numerous reasons why Tāne remains to be relevant in our times. It is only rightful that we tell our learners stories to to inspire them to be like him. As young as they are, our learners can start aspiring to be brave, humble, and cooperative, just like the atua of the forests that guard us and the birds that hover over us.
Ko Aotearoa tēnei!

For more related resources:
Tāne and the Three Baskets of Knowledge The Māori Creation Story Māori Gods Concertina Book Karakia mō te Kai Concertina Book Māori Story Posters

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Perhaps, it is safe to say that no other atua is more aspired and revered than Tāne. His relevance to us has remained throughout the generations and his character continues to inspire us in our daily lives. All the more, we need to pass on the stories of his unmatched persistence and his level-headed disposition.

# data[].attributes.body
Ive learnt about how the leaves can heal people

# data[].attributes.body
I want to know about how they could be used for other things.

# data[].attributes.body
That they can heal people who uses the leafs off them.

# data[].attributes.body
Kawakawa whakapapa - was brought to Aotearoa by Maori, descends from Haiwaiki as also Tataramoa and yet all are rooted life within Papatuanuku , attained by Maui, Tane -Tane-mahuta Tane-i-te-wao, Tane-te-waotu, Rongomatane, Tangaroa, Tawhirimatea, Haumiatiketike, Tumataenga, Ruaumoko

# data[].attributes.body
S.C: I know I can create an informative label for my product when:
1. list ingredients
2. brand name
3. flavour
4. directions of how to use it

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
NZ KUMARAHOU (Pomaderris kumeraho) in Autumn

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Cough Syrup: Kawakawa, Kūmarahou, Blackberry and Manuka Honey

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How To Create Labels Using Canva | How To Make Custom Labels | DIY Labels

# data[].attributes.body
It's important to know the difference between logos and labels before you start creating.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Introduction

Branding is a critical component for any company wanting to have a presence in the marketplace. Not only does branding entail the communications strategy used to communicate your company's message, but it also relates to the emotions consumers have when they come in contact with your business. Messaging and communications, as well as marketing and promotional materials, work together to create a company's brand.

Logos and labels are two marketing pieces used to build and communicate your company brand. When differentiating between a logo and label, it is easy to confuse the two. While both are vital, must-have elements for any company selling a service or product, they serve two different purposes.

A logo is a symbol used to identify your company that brings instant public recognition. Logos use colors, fonts and images to convey a unique visual identity to represent and communicate your brand. This symbol is often used consistently on all marketing materials, including signs, paper, promotional items, etc.

Effective logos should offer a combination of identification, distinction and communication of your company.

Identification: A logo identifies your company in the marketplace. It is often your first impression on potential customers. In a visually symbolic way, a logo represents your company to the outside world.

Distinction: An effective logo will distinguish you from competitors. New products appear in the market each day; an effective logo delivers distinction from other companies for customers to recognize and select.

Communication: Your logo should serve as a communication channel that says something about your company. Every logo says something about the company it represents, whether it is subtle or direct.

Font-based, literal illustrations and abstract symbols are the three most-used logo types.

Font-based: Consists solely of the company name in a unique font that makes it stand out, such as Coca-Cola.
Coca Cola's logo is an example of a text logo.
Literal illustrations: Uses an illustration directly related to what the company does, such as a lawn mower alongside the name of a lawn-care service.
Example of a literal illustration logo.
Abstract symbols: Immediately identified with the company's brand and image. This logo choice is a risky move, as it requires customers to immediately associate your company with that symbol. However, established companies often evolve into this once they have built a prominent identity, such as Nike, Apple and Starbucks.

Nike's logo is an example of an abstract symbol.
What is a label?

A label is an item attached to a product to inform consumers with a variety of information about the product and should always display the company's logo.

The Function of a Label

A label serves a multitude of purposes. One essential function of a label is to provide potential and existing consumers with information about the product. Labels offer mandatory information for packaged food products and state the facts of what is contained in the package. A proper label should include a principal display panel and an information panel. Labels also function as the first impression of a product. A label should carry a unique, visually appealing design that communicates your brand.

Principal Display Panel

The principal display panel is the part of a label that will first catch a consumer's eye when shopping. This panel displays the common name of the product, the net quantity of contents and usually the logo or brand of the product (although the logo is optional and not required by law).

Information Panel

The information panel includes mandatory elements, including the ingredient listing, name and address of manufacturer, packer or distributor; number of servings, if used; nutrition facts labeling, if used; advisory statements, if needed; disclosure statement; and accompanying information (handling information, such as keep refrigerated, frozen, etc.). The information panel might also include non-regulatory information, including recipe ideas and the history of the company.

Example of a nutrition facts label.

Look of the Label

In addition to providing information, the label also provides consumers with a prior idea about the contents of the package. The label is one of the first things a consumer will see, basically an invitation for them to purchase your product. Labels with a smart combination of color, fonts and finish are more appealing, offering an eye-catching appeal to consumers.

Label Design

Form: This is the part where you can be creative with a product label. A label should reflect your company ideals and, although, sometimes more is better, less can be best when it comes to label design. Try to use no more than two fonts on a label, but do use different font sizes to add variety. When deciding on colors, try to select a few key colors that will complement the product and tie into your overall brand. Try to have an even balance of content and white space. A cluttered label can be overwhelming and drown out the information you really want customers to see.

Usability/Practicality: While a flashy label may lure the eye to a product, if it is not user-friendly, consumers probably won't waste their time with it. Make sure the label is easy to read and information is easy to find.

Summary

Logos and labels work together to accomplish a similar goal - promoting your brand. However, while a logo serves as a symbolic visual identifier for your company, a label is used to provide information about a product or service offered by your company.

References

Bourn, Jennifer. "What is the Difference Between a Logo and a Brand?" Bourn Creative. www.bourncreative.com. October 2, 2009.

Designmondo. "35 Stylish Wine Label Design Examples." http://designmodo.com/wine-label-designs/. January 18, 2012.

Gillikin, Jason. "Importance of Logos in Business." The Houston Chronicle. http://smallbusiness.chron.com/importance-logos-business-577.html. 2013.

Martin, Megan. "What is a Company Logo?" The Houston Chronicle. http://smallbusiness.chron.com/company-logo-3479.html. 2013.

Morris, Richard. "Smart Tips for Designing Your Own Food Labels." Hand Picked Nation. January 28, 2013.

My Markets. "Know What a Logo Does." My Markets Logo Designer, 2005.

Scott, Darren, Bowser Timothy, McGlynn, William. "Food Product Labeling Basics: FAPC Factsheet 140." Robert M. Kerr Food & Agricultural Products Center. July 2010.

Rebecca Bailey
FAPC Communications Graduate Assistant

Mandy Gross
FAPC Communications Services Manager

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Logos vs. Labels: What's the Difference? - Oklahoma State University

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Branding is a critical component for any company wanting to have a presence in the marketplace. Not only does branding entail the communications strategy used to communicate your company's message, but it also relates to the emotions consumers have when they come in contact with your business.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Perhaps, it is safe to say that no other atua is more aspired and revered than Tāne. His relevance to us has remained throughout the generations and his character continues to inspire us in our daily lives. All the more, we need to pass on the stories of his unmatched persistence and his level-headed disposition.

The Origins of the God of the Forest

In the Māori creation story, Tāne is one of the many offsprings of Papatūānuku (earth) and Ranginui (sky). In his frustration amidst living in the darkness, he led his siblings to push their parents apart. Eventually, they escaped the darkness and let the light into the world.

As the trees stretch from the grounds to the clouds, we believe that the trees in the forest hold the earth and sky apart just like how Tāne held Papa and Rangi apart. Consequently, this makes the forest (ngahere) the realm of Tāne.

The Relevance of Tāne

Tāne is an indispensable character in the Māori culture because the ngahere is an essential source of food, shelter, and tools. He is the atua-god/guardian of mankind, birds, trees. In stories, we aspire to his level-headedness and persistence. His "big" job is to maintain the lush and diverse resources of the earth.

With these attributes, he became an example to many of us. His persistence and determination is unmatched, as it emanates in the narrative of how he pushed his parents apart. The story of his bravery and boldness inspires us, especially in the story of how he acquired the three baskets of knowledge in spite of all the challenges and obstacles. He inspires us to maintain harmonious relationships amidst differences in order to achieve a common goal; Tāne illustrated this in his cooperation with his brother Tāwhirimātea to defeat the insect-like demons even though they had their BIG differences (separation of their parents).

Even the largest tree in the whole of Aotearoa - Mahuta - is named after him. It is an outstanding symbol of strength and stature. Ultimately, he is the atua that we aspire to be like.

Tāne in Iwi Traditions

Tāne is a figure of great importance in iwi traditions. First, he separated earth and sky and brought this world into being. Also, he fashioned the first human. Furthermore, he adorned the heavens, and brought the baskets of knowledge, wisdom, and understanding down from the sky to human beings.

When the ancestors of Māori arrived in New Zealand, they found it was very different from their Polynesia. They had been primarily seafaring people. However, on these larger, colder islands, they also needed to know about the bush and its inhabitants. Eventually, these experiences led to the realisation that understanding the forest was vital to life. As Māori explored and learned about the forests, Tāne, the god of the forest, found an important place in tribal consciousness and traditions. Therefore, people developed a reverence for and knowledge of Te Waonui-a-Tāne - the great forest of Tāne.

The Many Names of Tāne

In the Māori culture, Tāne has different names to reflect his different roles. He is Tāne-mahuta as god of the forest, Tāne-te-wānanga as the bringer of knowledge, and Tāne nui-a-rangi as bringer of higher consciousness. His various names suggest someone who can defeat adversaries, and who is true, loyal, and authentic.

If you are keen to find out about his many other names here is a scholarly article.

These are only a few of the numerous reasons why Tāne remains to be relevant in our times. It is only rightful that we tell our learners stories to to inspire them to be like him. As young as they are, our learners can start aspiring to be brave, humble, and cooperative, just like the atua of the forests that guard us and the birds that hover over us.
Ko Aotearoa tēnei!

For more related resources:
Tāne and the Three Baskets of Knowledge The Māori Creation Story Māori Gods Concertina Book Karakia mō te Kai Concertina Book Māori Story Posters

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Perhaps, it is safe to say that no other atua is more aspired and revered than Tāne. His relevance to us has remained throughout the generations and his character continues to inspire us in our daily lives. All the more, we need to pass on the stories of his unmatched persistence and his level-headed disposition.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Rongoā Māori | Here's the email sent back to the Aotearoa Rongoa Maori Collective Charitable Trust who are driving this petition to stop Rongoa Maori going under the... | By Flawless Seven | Facebook

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
224 views, 3 likes, 2 loves, 0 comments, 6 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Flawless Seven: Here's the email sent back to the Aotearoa Rongoa Maori Collective Charitable Trust who are driving this...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
'Riding roughshod over rangatiratanga' - professor on control over rongoā Māori in proposed bill

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
"All rongoā practitioners can tell you it's been very hard. 1907 was the Tohunga Suppression Act, around about 2008 it was reintroduced."

The Bill aims to ensure these products are safe and deliver what they promise. But rongoā Māori specialists said the Bill overreaches into their traditional practice and is worried it could suppress their ability to deliver their services to whānau.

"So if I wanted to send some of my tonics I send to my whānau, the Therapeutic Act means that actually, you can't send that kumarahou for lung support to your whānau. It's all about regulations from the time you start to the time you put it into the packet."

Mihaere said the demand for Māori healers in the hapori has increased over recent years.

All practitioners have operated independently, however, the impact of the proposed Bill if passed into legislation could potentially change that.

"It's like bringing back the Tohunga Suppression Act on us once again. We are not therapeutics. Just the word on its own does not align with our practice. We're rongoā practitioners."

Mihaere is not alone in her concerns - it was discussed at a Rongoā Wānaga at Massey University in Te Papaioea last month, where hundreds of Māori healers came together.

"It's controlling what we can do. Imagine if we're being controlled more, what's going to happen then? Are they going to say what's going to be in the rongoā next? What are they going to say? Say they'll outlaw romiromi, and only have massage therapy?" Charlotte Mildon said.

Mildon, who is chair of the Aotearoa Rongoā Māori Collective, said rongoā Māori practitioners are frustrated by the lack of consultation.

"At the moment, they're only asking one person with one organisation sitting at the table with them doing the decision making. None of the other healers from other rohe. We have a right to say what it is we want for our healing and how it goes for each whānau, for each hapū."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Rongoā Māori practitioners worried about Bill set to go before Parliament that regulates natural health products

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
"All rongoā practitioners can tell you it's been very hard. 1907 was the Tohunga Suppression Act, around about 2008 it was reintroduced." The Bill aims to ensure these products are safe and deliver what they promise. But rongoā Māori specialists said the Bill overreaches into their traditional practice and is worried it could suppress their ability to deliver their services to whānau.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The resurgence of Rongoā Māori | Traditional Māori healing was suppressed for 60 years, now there's a nationwide resurgence. We meet one of the practitioners spearheading its revival. | By Seven Sharp | Facebook

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
8.3K views, 74 likes, 54 loves, 36 comments, 57 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Seven Sharp: Traditional Māori healing was suppressed for 60 years, now there's a nationwide resurgence. We meet one...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Rongoā Māori practitioners fear their work and treatments will be disadvantaged by the Therapeutic Products Bill, with grave concerns from practitioner Renee MacDonald that the bill will diminish traditional Māori healing methods, to the same effect the Tohunga Suppression Act did.

But Associate Health Minister Peeni Henare believes the proposed legislation will eliminate the "cowboys in the sector" and ensure the tested health benefits of their products.

Renee MacDonald says, "Us going underground is a big deal because we don't want to have to do that. And the Tohunga Suppression Act did that to us for a very long time and it shouldn't be happening again. So we're not happy, I'm not happy about it."

The bill aims to ensure products are safe but it will also regulate how products are made, tested, promoted and exported.

Could the rongoā Māori practice be in danger with new legislation?

Māori Health Minister Peeni Henare says, "For me it is the safety of those who buy these products from all around the world. I have spoken to some who want to take rongoa Maori to the global market so through this bill, by law practitioners and their products will be kept safe.

The rongoā Māori communities are hopeful that the 'kanohi ora' strategy will help protect rongoā Māori and keep it out of the Therapeutics Products Bill.

Henare also says, "I'm telling all the community that the doors have not yet closed for this bill. Discussions at this point are ongoing but I acknowledge some of the concerns from the rongoā Māori community".

But those who have worked to build their businesses are not buying into this.

MacDonald also says, "And so to have this come out and to question your integrity really as a practitioner because that's what it is, for myself I'm not sure what will happen there. It is a little bit scary because I have a business to run."

MacDonald says monetary value in her line of work has no significance and most practitioners receive monetary value on a 'koha' basis.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Concerns rongoā Māori disadvantaged by new bill

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Rongoā Māori practitioners fear their work and treatments will be disadvantaged by the Therapeutic Products Bill, with grave concerns from practitioner Renee MacDonald that the bill will diminish traditional Māori healing methods, to the same effect the Tohunga Suppression Act did.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Tohunga Suppression Act: how Māori medicine was made illegal for 55 years

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.authors[].name
New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu Taonga

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Tohunga Suppression Act 1907 was intended to stop people using traditional Māori healing practices which had a supernatural or spiritual element. It was not very effective – only nine convictions were obtained under the act. [no-lexicon]Whare[/no-lexicon] Taha of northern Hawke’s…

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Creation of Man

A good deal of confusion and contradiction occurs in the various accounts concerning that far-off event, the creation of the first human being. The popular Maori version is that the first human was a female whose body was moulded out of earth by the god Tane. The more detailed Matoro-hanga account (80, p. 138) states that the sons of Rangi debated as to how the ira tangata (human life) could be produced in distinction to the ira atua (supernatural life). They decided that as they were all males, a search should be made through nature for the female element ( uha) from which man could be produced.

The search was led by Tane and numerous experiments were conducted by him as to the possibilities of various inanimate objects and even ideas which were personified as females but were not human. Tane tested his procreating powers on Hinewaoriki (Maid-of-small-forests) and she gave birth to twins in the form of the kahika and matai trees. Nothing daunted, Tane mated with Mumuhanga and she gave birth to the totara tree. From eight personified mates, he produced nine species of large trees and the bracken fern. It is interesting to note that, though these births took place in a distant land of myth, the nine named trees are all indigenous to New Zealand. Though an earlier account states that Rangi clothed the body of Papa with vegetation, the creator of trees is here given as Tane. In recognition of his accomplishment, he was given the titles of Tanemahuta and Tane te waotu (Tane-of-the-standing-forest).

Still prosecuting his search, Tane mated with Punga who gave birth to insects and vermin. He mated with Parauri and produced the tui bird. Other matings produced a succession of other birds all of which are indigenous to New Zealand. Tane's mixed family was further increased by mating with a mountain personified as Hinetuparimaunga (Maid-of-the-mountain). She gave birth to three children, one of whom became Parawhenuamea, the classical personification of water. The other two children were personified and in turn were mated with other personifications with the result that Tane became the grandfather of monsters ( taniwha), more insects, lizards, reefs, rocks, sandstone, stones, gravel, and sand. By this time it became evident that the appropriate female element did not exist in nature. Though the search had failed, it must be admitted that Tane's activithes had helped materially to provide a suitable setting for man, who was yet to be created.

The gods now came to the conclusion that the female element would have to be created. They decided to mould a female after their own form out of the red earth at Kurawaka on the puke ( mons Veneris) of the Earth-mother. The text here departs from the popular version by stating that various parts including the blood, bones, special organs, and internal organs were supplied and arranged in position by different members of the 36 named gods who took part in assembling the various anatomical parts of the first human body. Some rationalization took place, where possible, such as the lungs being supplied by Tawhirimatea, the god of the winds. There being no goddesses at that period, the differentiation of sex to provide the female element ( uha) occasioned considerable discussion among the 17 gods who took part in assembling the various parts of the female sex organ. Eleven different parts were supplied and arranged in relative position, but beyond such well-known terms as raho ( labia majora) and werewere ( labia minora), it is impossible to identify some of the names given. White (104, vol. 1, p. 162) made a bold attempt to identify the eleven parts given in a Ngaitahu version and he went so far into the interior as to identify kaiure as the ovaries and mokakati as the Fallopian tubes. This was crediting the composers of the myth with a knowledge of anatomy which I am sure neither they nor their followers ever possessed. The number of names given is beyond the requirements of normal anatomy. It is evident that the desire to supply quantity as well as details led the myth-makers to throw in some extra parts for good measure.

The task of vivifying the inanimate form was delegated to Tane. He breathed into its nostrils, the figure drew a breath, sneezed, and came to life and so the ira tangata was created. To maintain Io's position as the real Creator of life, it is stated, the breath of life and the blood were conveyed from him by the whatukura Rehua. The first female thus created was named Hineahuone (Earth-formed-maid) and a common variation of her name is Hinehauone.

The act of procreation was also delegated to Tane. After having evinced so much knowledge about sex anatomy, the gods displayed a curious ignorance concerning sex physiology. Tane applied his procreating power to various parts of the human body before he came to the part that the gods had so carefully prepared for reproduction. Tane's experiments with extraneous parts are given as the cause of the natural secretions such as wax from the ears, tears from the eyes, mucus from the nose, saliva from the mouth, and perspiration from the armpits. The concept of a state of ignorance preceding the first act of coition was used as a literary theme in other parts of Polynesia. In Mangareva and Tuamotu, long poems describe the abortive attempts on various parts of the human body before the problem was correctly solved.

An alternate theory that the first human being was a male was held by some of the Maori tribes, according to White (104, vol. 1, p. 151). The Ngaitahu held that the first human was a male who was created out of earth by Tane and given the name of Tiki or Tikiauaha. The sexual parts were supplied by other gods. The Ngati Hau of Whanganui and the Ngati Tuwharetoa of Taupo say that Tiki was the first man but the brief records do not give the creator. A Ngati Awa (Whakatane) version states that the first man was made by Tiki from a mixture of his own blood and clay, and a variant Ngati Tuwharetoa version says that the first man was made by Tikiahua out of red clay. Neither of the two versions gives the name of the man. The Ngaitahu account continues that after the creation of Tiki, Tane made the first woman out of the soil of Hawaiki as a mate for Tiki and named her Iowahine. On the other hand, the Ngati Porou and Urewera tribes support the Ngati Kahungunu myth, already stated, that the first human being was a woman who was created by Tane.

In Polynesia, we find that in the Marquesas, Mangareva, and Easter Island, the first woman was made out of earth or sand by Tiki. Her name in the Marquesas was Hinamataone; in Mangareva, it was Hinaone; and in Easter Island, it was Hinapopoia (Hina-the-heaped-up). A Tuamotuan poem states that Tane created a woman named Hauone but another Tuamotuan version states that Tiki married a woman named Onekura (Red-earth) who, however, was a member of a living family. Confusion thus exists between the god Tane and an interloper named Tiki.

The Matorohanga school disposes of the problem very neatly. In a chant (15, p. 76) used by Tane on his union with Hineahuone, he describes his "tiki" before and during coitus, thus leaving no doubt that the term tiki was applied to his phallus. Other references support the identification and, as applied to the teaching of the Matorohanga school, Best (15, p. 81) is quite correct in his contention that Tane represents the male principle generally and Tiki personifies the male organ [ ure], which name is also employed as the ordinary term for the sacerdotal recitals, as when the tiki of Tane is referred to.

However, the teaching of a local Maori school cannot do away with the fact that Tiki was regarded as a definite individual, who was the first man in various parts of Polynesia, including the Society Islands ('Ti'i) and Hawaii (Ki'i). The persistence of the same concept among some of the Maori tribes shows that it was carried to New Zealand from Central Polynesia. The elimination of the man Tiki by transferring his name to the male organ, whether personified or not, would thus appear to have been a later development thought out by an inner circle of priests whose ideas had not reached or been accepted by all the Maori tribes. The creation of the first female from earth is certainly an ancient concept, as proved by its wide distribution and by the fact that in the various versions her name is a compound of one (earth or sand). Tiki as the first male is also ancient from its distribution, but which sex came first in the original story is a matter for conjecture.

The union between Tane and Hineahuone (80, p. 144) resulted in the birth of a daughter who was named Hinetitama (Dawn-maid). In creation myths in which one initial pair is responsible for producing the human line of descent, incest is inevitable. The Polynesians did not have a Land of Nod to enable them to evade the problem. In the Marquesan, Mangarevan, and Easter Island myths, in which Tiki is the first man, Tiki committed incest with his own daughter. In a Tuamotuan version, the influence of an older account is evident for Tiki committed incest with his own daughter, though there were other families living at the time. In the New Zealand story, Tane took his daughter Hinetitama to wife in order that the human species might be continued. They had a daughter who was named Hinerauwharangi. She married Te Kawekairangi, but there is no explanation of how he had appeared on the scene so opportunely. Perhaps there was some adjacent Land of Nod after all. Be that as it may, the Matorohanga version gives human descent as continuing through this last pairing. A genealogical tree gives 28 generations from Hinerauwharangi to Ngatoroirangi, the priest of the Arawa canoe. Percy Smith has made the count from Tane and Hineahuone to approximately the year 1900 as 52 generations. Applying the time measure of 25 years to a generation and adding 50 years to bring it up to the present date, the genealogy reveals that the first human being was created about 1350 years ago, or in the year 600 A.D. The fact that the time is rather short does not render the genealogy less valuable to the person who can memorize and recite it.

After the birth of their daughter, Hinetitama asked Tane, "Who is my father?" Tane evaded by telling her to ask the posts of the house. This idiomatic form of evasion occurs in other Polynesian stories. Hinetitama realized from the answer that Tane was her father. During the night she fled in the direction of the approach to the Underworld of Rarohenga. She reached the guardhouse of Poutererangi and obtained an entry permit from Te Kuwatawata, the guardian of the entrance. Before entering, she looked back and saw her weeping husband following. She called back to him, "Tane, return to our family! I have severed connection with the world of light and now desire to dwell in the world of night." So saying, she passed through the guardhouse and descended to Rarohenga where she assumed the name of Hinenuitepo (Great-lady-of-the-under-world). As mistress of the Underworld, she dwelt at Te Ruatuwhenua in a house named Wharaurangi. The courtyard before it was aptly named Te Tatau o te po (The Portal-of-the-Underworld). Though referred to as the Goddess of Death for her rightful slaying of Maui, she was really a kindly deity who was friendly to the descendants of Tane when they passed through the portal of the Underworld.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A good deal of confusion and contradiction occurs in the various accounts concerning that far-off event, the creation of the first human being. The popular Maori version is that the first human was a female whose body page 450was moulded out of earth by the god Tane. The more detailed Matoro-hanga a…

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Tohunga Suppression Act: how Māori medicine was made illegal for 55 years

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
It has been close to a year now since the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) incorporated rongoā Māori (traditional Māori healing methods) into its rehabilitation treatments.

ACC is guided by the Waitangi Tribunal's definition from the 'Ko Aotearoa Tēnei' report, which define rongoā Māori as including mirimiri (massage), whitiwhitikōrero (support and advice), and karakia (prayer). ACC hopes using these services will not only rehabilitate injured Māori clients but every client who chooses to use this service.

Māori rongoā has always been part of Ngaire Khan's life and she is more than happy to share this taonga to those who are in need.

Khan of Te Arawa is one of the 100 and growing in numbers expert Māori medicine practitioners registered with ACC. Khan grew up in Te Puna of Rotorua and as a child frequently visited a tohunga (priest or healer) who looked after the health and wellbeing of her whānau. She says she has known the power and reality that rongoā Māori and practices do work.

"I am really blessed to be in this space and to be approved by ACC for rongoā Māori and that is my passion to do mahi to do the miri on the whānau," Khan said.

ACC does not fund healing techniques from non-Māori cultural traditions, such as reiki or hyperbaric oxygen treatment, as part of rongoā Māori even if they have been provided by Māori practitioners. ACC will pay for rongoā Māori sessions but not any products such as oils and other products that the client may want to take home.

So far ACC has approved rongoā Māori in 1,190 claims, has funded a total of 7,245 sessions and one in four of those clients haven't received any other forms of ACC care or treatment before receiving rongoā.

The government of the day passed the Tohunga Suppression Act 1907, which was intended to stop people from using traditional Māori healing practices. But now the government via ACC has allowed rongoā Māori and practices to restart. When Te Ao Mārama asked why the government now allowed this, ACC's Turei-Hamiora Ormsby said this was an opportunity as a new pathway forward for the betterment of Māori health and the teaching of these practices among Māori.

"This is a new pathway and we have been giving it a really good go at making it work. From this hope, we can move on from the past wrongs that have affected us".

ACC has launched a new TeleHealth initiative for its clients that enables them to continue with booking appointments to all their services, keeping updated and supported during Covid-19.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Out with the Tohunga Suppression Act - Māori rongoā used by ACC

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
It has been close to a year now since the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) incorporated rongoā Māori (traditional Māori healing methods) into its rehabilitation treatments. ACC is guided by the Waitangi Tribunal's definition from the 'Ko Aotearoa Tēnei' report, which define rongoā Māori as including mirimiri (massage), whitiwhitikōrero (support and advice), and karakia (prayer).

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.authors[].name
New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu Taonga

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Colonisation by Europeans had a significant effect on traditional Māori healing. Tohunga had limited ability to combat the diseases brought by Europeans. Though Western medicine was also relatively ineffectual at the time, this failure still strongly affected Māori confidence in tohunga. <…

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In this article

View / Download pdf version of this article

Rongoā Māori is the traditional healing system of Māori, incorporating the use of plant based remedies

Tohunga are the practitioners of Rongoā Māori

Establishing a good relationship with Māori patients will enable them to talk to you about the Rongoā they use

Be aware of interactions between Rongoā and conventional treatment or medications

History of Rongoā Māori

Rongoā Māori is the traditional healing system of Māori. It focuses on the oral transmission of knowledge, diversity of practice and the spiritual dimension of health. Rongoā Māori encompasses herbal remedies, physical therapies and spiritual healing.

Tohunga is the discipline of traditional healing and its practitioners. In early Māori history Tohunga were seen as the earthly medium of the controlling spirits and influenced all aspects of life. Illness was viewed as a symptom of disharmony with nature. If a person was sick, the Tohunga would first determine what imbalance had occurred, before the illness could then be treated both spiritually and physically.

When European settlers came to New Zealand, they brought with them new diseases, modifying the environment and changing the disease ecology of the country. This caused significant mortality among Māori from influenza, measles, whooping cough and dysentery. The Māori population continued to decline into the early 1900s until the situation was reversed partly due to health reforms including building latrines, destroying unsanitary dwellings and establishing Māori health nurses.

The Tohunga Suppression Act 1907 grew out of concern of the practice of "rogue" Tohunga who lacked the training and integrity of traditional Tohunga. Rongoā Māori was seen as unsafe and an impediment to Māori progress by the medical fraternity. A conventional western medical system was desired for New Zealand. At this time, the activity of "quack" doctors was also suppressed with the Quackery Prevention Act 1908.

The Tohunga Suppression Act was passed with support from the four Māori members of Parliament, but only Tohunga whose activities were seen as harmful, were suppressed. The legislation was never really enforced with very few Tohunga prosecuted. However the main consequence of the Act was that it pushed the practice of Rongoā Māori underground. Identities of Tohunga were kept secret and matters of Rongoā were never discussed outside of Māori communities.

Rongoā Māori today

Despite the Suppression Act, training of Tohunga continued over the years and knowledge was passed on and developed. In 1962, as a result of a review of legislation that differentiated between Māori and Europeans, the Tohunga Suppression Act was repealed. With the resurgence of Māori culture in the past few decades Rongoā Māori has once again become prominent.

Māori view health in a holistic way, incorporating spiritual, psychological, physical and family aspects. It is perceived that conventional health services are focused on treating a person's physical health but may not always address other aspects. Some Māori may feel that their needs are better met by engaging with their traditional healers. There may also be geographical, financial or cultural barriers to accessing mainstream healthcare for some people.

The World Health Organisation advocates the inclusion of traditional healers in national health systems. There is a call for Rongoā Māori to be formalised within the public health system in New Zealand and to exist in synergy with conventional medical systems. The following steps have been made to this effect:

In 1993 the National Organisation of Māori Traditional Practitioners (Ngā Ringa Whakahaere O te Iwi Māori) was established.

In 1995 regional health authorities were able to purchase aspects of Rongoā Māori. The Ministry of Health has continued to fund services.

In 1999 the Ministry of Health published a set of standards for traditional Māori healing.

In 2006 the Ministry of Health released a Rongoā development plan outlining how Māori traditional healing practices will be supported within the health and disability sector. The aims of this plan are to improve the quality of Rongoā services, create leadership roles within Rongoā, increase the capacity and capability of services and develop research and evaluation activities.

In 2007 Lake Taupo PHO signed a contract for services with the National Organisation of Traditional Healers, setting a benchmark for bridging the divide between Māori and mainstream services. The two organisations now work together to promote the benefits of Rongoā Māori.

The practice of Rongoā Māori

Rongoā is an important aspect of health care to many Māori people despite their concurrent use of western medicine. It represents the passing on of culture and history. Traditional treatment may be sought for a variety of reasons including illness that is atypical or not responding to conventional treatment, mental illness and chronic "lifestyle" conditions such as type II diabetes.

Tohunga do not have a specific training programme or institution but are recognised experts in their field by their communities. Many learn their craft through the passing on of knowledge from elders or through apprenticeships with practising Tohunga. Knowledge and practice borrowed from western medicine may be incorporated into treatment.

Tohunga may work alone or within a clinic (Whare Oranga) and generally do not actively advertise for patients. There is considerable variation in practice and treatment protocols and no standard consensus on diagnosis or prescription. Treatment is individualised to tribes, areas, local plant material and specific needs. Healers are thought to be more prevalent in rural areas and in the North Island.

Treatment includes plant remedies from native flora (Rongoā rākau), massage (mirimiri) and prayer (karakia). Illness is treated by addressing aspects of health including spiritual, psychological, emotional, cultural, social, environmental, family and physical health.

As part of the Ministry of Health standards for traditional healing, Tohunga must ensure that:

Patients are aware of any follow-up treatment or consultation required

Patients are referred to other services where appropriate, especially for emergency or acute needs

Co-operation with other health professionals according to the wishes or needs of the patient takes place

Whare Oranga, like general practices, are required to keep records for patients they treat. These records must contain details of treatment objectives and outcomes.

Some Māori patients may be unwilling to admit to their doctor that they are using traditional healing methods. However GPs should feel comfortable asking their patients about Rongoā Māori. As for any patient, it is important to be aware of any alternative remedies that a patient is taking, to assess any possible conflict with conventional medicine or treatment.

Plant remedies - Rongoā rākau

Plant remedies (Rongoā rākau) form an integral part of Rongoā Māori. Numerous native plants are used to treat a variety of conditions including colds, flu, gastrointestinal problems, genitourinary problems, aches and pains. Plants must be carefully prepared as some species are toxic if not used correctly. Some of the more common plants used in Rongoā Māori are listed in Table 1.

The use of plant remedies does not require regulatory approval as long as they do not contain a scheduled medicine. However, as some pharmaceuticals are derived from plants, it is possible that Rongoā may contain active ingredients. As long as these pharmaceuticals are not purposely added to a remedy no restrictions apply to the use of such plants. Note that some plants, for example St Johns wort, can interact with conventional medicines.

Appropriate tikanga (customs and rites) must be observed during the collection, preparation and storage of Rongoā.

Plant material must be correctly identified, gathered from non-polluted areas and prepared safely and hygienically.

Plants are usually crushed or dried and mixed with water or ethyl alcohol.

Plant remedies should only be prescribed and dispensed by Tohunga to individual patients. Tohunga will advise on appropriate use.

Plant remedies should not be labelled with therapeutic claims. Labels should contain the ingredient(s), instructions for use, date of preparation, expiry date and who the remedy is prescribed for.

Table 1: Examples of plants used in Rongoā Māori

Manuka,
Kanuka

Red tea tree,
White tea tree

Leaves; infusion

Kidney and urinary problems, fever, cough, gonorrhoea.

* All parts poisonous except for swollen petals. Contains Tutin toxin, which has caused death.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Traditional Maori Healing - BPJ 13 May 2008

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Best Practice Advocacy Centre delivers educational and continuing professional development programmes to medical practitioners and other health professional groups throughout New Zealand.

# data[].attributes.body
This karakia was gifted by a beautiful wahine, Susan Stevens (a.k.a Iriaka Stevens o Tainui Waka), to the Matakite Akonga Page some years ago.

Excuse the lack of aesthetics - it's all about content today.

KARAKIA FOR GATHERING RONGOĀ
Penei au ka tu
i raro i te matakitaki a Tane
Tane i tuku iho te ira tangata
koropiko te mahanga i te honore i te māhaki
mo nga hua i takoto rauroha mai
nga hua hei oranga wairua
hei painga mo te katoa
Tihei mauri ora

Thus, here I stand under the gaze of Tane,
Tane who gave life to us all
My head is bowed in honour and humbleness
as I take in the fruit that lay spread before me,
The fruit that gives health to the body,
health to the wairua
health to us all

Tihei mauri ora!!!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The healing power of glorious Kawakawa is simply astounding, and not to be underestimated.

For centuries, Maori have been using Kawakawa as Rongoa (medicine). From consuming in teas and tonics to applying topically for skin ailments and pain relief, there's a reason: this glorious plant is packed full of

Harvesting kawakawa, however, is not as simple as taking some leaves from the forest and boiling them into a tea.

Tikanga Maori (customary practices or traditions) calls for specific rituals to honour the Wairua (spirit) of both the forest and the Kawakawa plant itself.

A powerful medicine given to us from Papatuanuku and Tane Mahuta needs to be respected and handled carefully. Let us tell you the story of Koa - from the forest to your home.

You can view all our natural healing body products HERE

Ma nga manu e arahi - Guided by the birds.

A morning hikoi (walk) on a to the forest clears the mind and offers connection to the Ngahere. Pausing before entering, digital technologies are switched off, and we establish our intentions for this visit. The sounds of the nearby city disappear as we listen intently, guided by the sounds of the birds to find our rakau (tree) for this harvest.

When this rakau is located, it is time to recite a (prayer). We ask for blessings and give thanks to the Atua (gods) of the Ngahere.

We harvest the leaves facing east - due to their higher potency, this means the plant will heal faster.

The leaves with the have been enjoyed thoroughly by nga Anuhe (caterpillars). While it might seem like these holey leaves should be discarded, this is not so - these caterpillars have shown us which leaves hold the most medicinal properties, and therefore are our first choice for harvest.

It is key not to take many leaves from one tree - respect for these rakau keeps this harvesting a . When the leaves have been harvested and thanks given to these plants, they head home with Michelle to begin their next journey - a transformation into the sustainable practice Koa products you know and love.

A spiritual experience every single time, at Koa there is nothing but gratitude for this incredibly powerful plant and all it has to give.

Key Protocols for Kawakawa Harvesting

While it might sound like a personal preference, there's a reason these harvests take place in the morning while the sun in shining.

Every aspect of our harvesting process follows traditional protocol, and is well thought out in advance.

We walk to the forest to clear our mind and enter with no emotional or energetic baggage that might interfere with our focus, or be left behind when we leave. It's important to respect the Wairua of the environment we're in. This is also why we switch off - any music or digital distractions would take away from the spiritual experience of a Kawakawa harvest.

A sunny morning ensures the plants are at their healthiest, and the sap rises more strongly on the east-facing side of the plant.

These caterpillars who are kindly showing us which leaves have higher potency are doing the plant a favour, too.

By selecting these holey, sun-soaked leaves, we're not only crafting premium, powerful product. We're also ensuring the plant can heal quickly from where it has gifted us some of its green magic.

Karakia is imperative - Tane Mahuta is kindly gifting us this super-plant, and we'll never take without giving thanks.

Why we love Kawakawa

Whether used as a tea, tonic, or balm, the benefits of Kawakawa are just incredible.

Known for its antioxidant properties, this gentle and natural medicine helps to detox organs such as the liver, kidneys and lungs. It works wonders on the urinary system and is recognised for assisting in the removal of uric acid build-up which can cause achy joints.

As a balm, Kawakawa is a superhero for skin ailments , from eczema to bites, burns and rashes.

Over and over again, our customers are amazed by how quickly their skin heals - even after having tried many treatments before turning to Kawakawa.

It also makes a wonderful, hydrating and healing lip balm - perfect for summer!
Noho ora mai - Keep well, with Koa Organics. Koa Organics is a New Zealand Organic Skincare brand, based in Rotorua and shipping nationwide. With organic Kawakawa and Magnesium healing balms, creams, oils and bath soaks, our products provide relief and moments of calm to skin ailments and achy muscles. Browse our Kawakawa range of products and bring natures magic home!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Harvesting Kawakawa - Respecting Tikanga and Te Ao Maori

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Koa Organics NZ made Kawakawa healing balm is harvested respectfully, following traditional Maori protocols. The healing power of glorious Kawakawa is simply astounding, and not to be underestimated. Discover our story on how we bring Kawakawa Balm home from the forest to protect and heal skin ailments like eczema.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The first rongoā - Karakia (prayers, chants, incantations)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
… Well my dad didn’t like it because she was a tohunga. He was trying to bring his family into the new world. Knowing that we had to survive, and the new world was on us. And he didn’t want to have anything to do with tohunga. But this kuia kept calling him with her hand. So, he obeyed her because h…

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
“Ko Au te Whenua, Ko te Whenua Ko Au: I Am the Land, and the Land Is Me”: Healer/Patient Views on the Role of Rongoā Māori (Traditional Māori Healing) in Healing the Land

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In Rongoā Māori (traditional Māori healing), the connection with the land stems from seeing Papatūānuku/Mother Earth as a part of our identity/whakapapa (genealogy), our culture, and our wellbeing. This qualitative study aimed to explore the holistic nature and meaning of Ro…

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
PDFs of all the texts in this issue of the School Journal are available online as well as teacher support materials (TSM) for the following:

TSM

Stories

Tohunga

✔

Olden Days

The Pink Umbrella

Reckless

Poems

Wining's Wairau

Articles

Up the Pipe

✔

Painting the Town

✔

Look inside this issue

by Potiki

illustrations by Andrew Burdan

This intense and dramatic "slice of life" story recounts the time when a mother had to take her sick child in secret to a tohunga. It is set after 1907, when the New Zealand government made it illegal for tohunga to practise rongoā Māori. "Tohunga" provides rich material for both Māori and non-Māori students to explore themes of cultural similarities and differences.

Back to series
Return to top ^

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
PDFs of all the texts in this issue of the School Journal are available online as well as teacher support materials (TSM) for the following: TSM Stories Tohunga ✔ Olden Days The Pink Umbrella Reckless Poems Wining's Wairau Articles Up the Pipe ✔ Painting the Town ✔ by Potiki illustrations by Andrew Burdan This intense and dramatic "slice of life" story recounts the time when a mother had to take her sick child in secret to a tohunga.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
by Mere Whaanga

Restoring the whenua on the Māhia Peninsula

Taipōrutu is a sheep and cattle farm on the Māhia Peninsula. The land has been in the same whānau for twenty generations. It was once covered in native bush: tī kōuka, mānuka, rewarewa, tītoki, kahikatea, nīkau, and kawakawa. These species ensured the health of the land and the health of its people - but then they were cleared for farming. A few years ago, the family who owns Taipōrutu came up with a plan to restore their whenua. They called the plan Ahikāroa.

Back to series
Return to top ^

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
by Mere Whaanga Restoring the whenua on the Māhia Peninsula Taipōrutu is a sheep and cattle farm on the Māhia Peninsula. The land has been in the same whānau for twenty generations. It was once covered in native bush: tī kōuka, mānuka, rewarewa, tītoki, kahikatea, nīkau, and kawakawa.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Your browser does not support the audio element.

by André Ngāpō

illustrations by Elspeth Alix Batt

This story has a strong theme of the value of rongoā Māori, traditional Māori medicine. It provides opportunities for students who are familiar with te reo and rongoā Māori to share their knowledge. Ana's mum is ill, and when Nan comes to visit, she decides that rongoā Māori is what Mum needs. Nan takes Ana into the bush with her to collect the plants she wants to use. Ana is fascinated by what Nan shows her, and Nan agrees to teach Ana more about traditional Māori medicine. After using rongoā Māori to treat an unexpected emergency, they return home to prepare the leaves of koromiko they have collected to treat Mum's illness.

Purple 2

Back to series
Return to top ^

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Your browser does not support the audio element. by André Ngāpō illustrations by Elspeth Alix Batt This story has a strong theme of the value of rongoā Māori, traditional Māori medicine. It provides opportunities for students who are familiar with te reo and rongoā Māori to share their knowledge.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Rongoā is the traditional Māori healing system. Rongoā is a holistic practice that often includes using the medicinal properties of New Zealand native plants.

Early Māori and rongoā

Although early Māori may not have known what today's scientists know about our immune system, they had worked out how to treat diseases and infection. The use of rongoā prevented many sicknesses and provided remedies for those who were already sick. Joseph Banks, an 18th century scientist who travelled with Captain James Cook, observed that Māori were in good health and appeared to suffer from few diseases.

Traditionally, Māori had a holistic approach to healing. It included the mind, body and spirit - mauri (spark or life force), tapu (natural law) and wairua (spirit). Whakapapa (genealogy) was also a factor to consider in the healing process. Tohunga, the medical practitioners or healers of the Māori world, passed their knowledge down through the generations, and modern Māori healers still use many of the concepts and practices.

Rongoā fighting infection

Rongoā is still used extensively today - many of the medicines from plants are used to fight infection. It was, and still is, important that the gathering of rongoā plants be carried out in a sustainable way to ensure that there will still be some the next time it is needed. Some of these plants can be toxic and should only be prepared by people who have been trained in the art of rongoā.

The following plants are some examples of plants that can be used for rongoā and that are used to fight infection.

Koromiko
The young leaf tips can be chewed for diarrhoea and dysentery. Dried leaves sent to New Zealand soldiers in the Second World War for this purpose were very effective.

Koromiko leaves can also be used for ulcers and sores and have been used as a poultice on babies for skin sores. The active ingredient is phenolic glycocide.

Kōwhai
All the parts of the kōwhai including the bark, inner bark, flowers, leaves and juice can be used as rongoā. Kōwhai can be used for cuts, infected skin, wounds and skin diseases. Colds and sore throats have been treated with infused kōwhai bark. There are toxic alkaloids in the tree, so people have to prepare the rongoā carefully.

Harakeke (flax)
The sticky gum in flax is used as an external treatment for boils and wounds. Leaves can be used as a dressing to aid healing, and the juice acts as a disinfectant for wounds. A poultice of the root can be used to treat intestinal parasites.

In this article Stephen Tauwhare talks about The Harakeke Project and how scientific knowledge can be combined with traditional Māori knowledge. Watch this video to learn more about the medicinal benefits of harakeke.

Pōhutukawa
The inner bark, when infused, can be used to treat dysentery and diarrhoea (it contains ellagic acid), and the nectar of the flowers has helped to alleviate sore throats.

Pūriri
Pūriri leaves can be infused and used to treat ulcers and sore throats, best gargled and not swallowed

Kawakawa
The leaves can be used to heal cuts and wounds. Chewing the leaves eases the pain of toothache and abdominal distress.

High school student Chris Ryan researched the medicinal properties of kawakawa, read about it in this Connected journal article.

Fungi and rongoā

A number of fungi were used in rongoā, for example, pukurau (puffballs) were used to stop bleeding and for pain relief from scalds and burns. Learn more in the interactive below.

Nature of science

Activity ideas

Useful links

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Rongoā is the traditional Māori healing system. Rongoā is a holistic practice that often includes using the medicinal properties of New Zealand native plants.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington, NZ

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Rongoā Māori is the traditional Māori healing system. This ancient lore, including plant use, massage, and incantations, has been passed down through many generations.

In traditional Māori medicine, ailments are treated in a holistic manner with:

spiritual healing

the power of karakia

the mana of the tohunga (expert)

by the use of herbs.

Traditionally, knowledge of rongoā was considered tapu (sacred) and was passed on to a select few. A person was selected for training by a tohunga pu (expert) from the whare wānanga (house of learning).

For Māori before European contact, forms of leprosy and tuberculosis might have been the only contagious diseases. Māori had no in-built immunity to diseases like the influenza, measles, and fevers that European contact brought.

Herbal treatments

Internal herbal treatments

Internal herbal treatments were given for:

respiratory ailments like asthma, bronchitis, and coughs

stomach, bowel, and urinary tract problems

menstrual and birthing difficulties

at least one form of tuberculosis.

External herbal treatments

External herbal treatments were given for:

Modern mix-ups

Most of the information that is known about rongoā is from the writings of early settlers and missionaries who either discussed or observed the traditional use of plants.

Different iwi have different names for the same plants. Alternatively, the same name can be used for different plants. Sometimes this caused confusion, with the use being applied to the wrong plant. For example, kahikātoa (another name for mānuka) was confused with kahikatea, a very different tree.

Scientific research

Some of the information relating to the medicinal use of plants has been supported through scientific studies and the study of the use of related plants in other parts of the world. For example, kawakawa has relatives that are used medicinally in other countries of the South Pacific and has been the focus of scientific research.

Medicinal uses of some New Zealand plants

This information was taken predominantly from the records of early settlers and missionaries and in some cases has not been verified. It is not a recommendation for self-medication.

Mānuka

Mānuka is abundant throughout New Zealand, from lowland to subalpine areas. Captain Cook used this plant to make tea, as he liked the bitter taste - hence its other common name, tea-tree.

An infusion of the bark is used externally and internally as a sedative. It was also used for scalds and burns. Ash made from the bark was rubbed onto the skin to treat skin diseases. Vapour from leaves boiled in water was used for colds. The inner bark was boiled and the liquid used as a mouthwash.
Read more about mānuka on Collections Online
Koromiko

Koromiko is widespread throughout New Zealand. An infusion of the leaves was used as an astringent for dysentery. Poultices were used for ulcers. It was considered good for the kidneys and bladder, as well as for diarrhoea and as a tonic.

Harakeke

Harakeke is found throughout New Zealand, predominantly in lowland swamps. The seed is currently used for oil as it is rich in linoleic acid, an essential fatty acid. Early records identify a wide range of uses for harakeke, from treating constipation to healing burns and gunshot and bayonet wounds.

The roots are noted as being used for colds and headaches whereas the leaves are used for stomach trouble. The liquid gained from boiling the roots is apparently a good substitute for castor oil.
Read more about harakeke on Collections Online
Kawakawa

This common plant is found throughout New Zealand in lowland forest. Kawakawa is distinctive because of its heart-shaped leaves, often riddled with holes from insect damage.

Kawakawa has been recorded as being used internally to tone the kidneys and help with stomach problems. Externally it was used for cuts, wounds, boils, abscesses, and nettle stings. It was also used for rheumatism and other aches and pains, including toothache. When kawakawa is thrown on a campfire and burned, it reputedly keeps mosquitoes away.
Read more about kawakawa on Collections Online
Tutu

members of iwi Ngāti Toa Rangatira, demonstrate a remedy for sprains, strains, and broken bones, using the poisonous plant tutu (Coriaria species). The properties of tutu can be used to treat arthritis, skin rashes, gout, and other ailments.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Rongoā Māori is the traditional Māori healing system. This ancient lore, including plant use, massage, and incantations, has been passed down through many generations. In traditional Māori medicine, ailments are treated in a holistic manner with: spiritual healing the power of karakia the mana of the tohunga (expert) by the use of herbs.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Rongoā Māori: finding medicine in the bush

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Rongoā Tutorial “Kawakawa Oil” “ | Rongoā Tutorial #4
“KAWAKAWA OIL”

A tutorial to make your own Pure Natural Kawakawa Oil.

Tips and Tricks:

#1 Karakia and acknowledge Papatuanuku and... | By 2Face DRAMA | Facebook

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
31K views, 282 likes, 232 loves, 102 comments, 308 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from 2Face DRAMA: Rongoā Tutorial #4
“KAWAKAWA OIL”

A tutorial to make your own Pure Natural Kawakawa Oil.

Tips and...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Rongoā practitioner Donna Kerridges explains how to make a simple decoction for respiratory conditions and digestion.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Make Your Own Kawakawa Balm. | We have had such great feedback on our post last week - The Difference Between Creams and Balms we thought we would show you how easy it is to make your... | By Manutuke Herbs | Facebook

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
1K views, 21 likes, 1 loves, 9 comments, 11 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Manutuke Herbs: We have had such great feedback on our post last week - The Difference Between Creams and Balms we...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Kawakawa Tea At Mount Taupiri. Survival Food/Medicine/Insecticide From Wild Plants

# data[].attributes.headline
Acknowledging the māori cultural values and beliefs embedded in Rongoa māori

# data[].attributes.subject
Acknowledging the māori cultural values and beliefs embedded in Rongoa māori

# data[].attributes.body
Read sections - Natural products as important source for drug discoveries, Potential for anti-diabetic Rākau Rongoā (Maori herbal medicine), karamu, kūmarahou, Kawakawa, Mātauranga māori - heal the land, heal the people, Māori view to animal testing rākau rongoā, Rongoā māori Mana Motuhake (Self-determination for traditional traditional māori healing practices),

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Division of Health, Engineering, Computers and Science, School of Science, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand

Department of Māori Health and Metabolic Disease, Te Reo Tipu Research Centre, Waikato, New Zealand

Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand

T2DM (type 2 diabetes mellitus, or Māori term "mate huka") is a major long-term health issue in New Zealand particularly among the Māori community. Non-insulin drugs commonly used in New Zealand for the treatment of T2DM have limits to their efficacy as well as side effects, which are of concern for diabetics. As such, the potential for natural products such as traditional rākau rongoā are of interest for potentially preventing the development of T2DM or improving the treatment of the disease. In particular, anti-diabetic effects have been reported for rākau rongoā such as karamu, kūmarahou, and kawakawa. Natural products have been identified in karamu, kūmarahou, and kawakawa that have documented potential effects on glucose metabolism that could contribute to the anti-diabetic effect of these rākau rongoā. As such, this could provide scientific insight into the mātauranga (traditional knowledge) developed over generations by Māori. However, detailed laboratory based and clinical studies would be required to understand and validate these properties of karamu, kūmarahou, and kawakawa, and to understand how they can be used in T2DM treatment. Social determinants of indigenous health such as language, culture, traditional knowledge, and identity, are important in understanding the relationship Māori have with their land and the mātauranga they developed of the medicinal properties within their rākau rongoā, over many centuries. Interestingly, traditional Māori views towards scientific research using animal models to test rākau rongoā are varied but supportive. Furthermore, cultural issues surrounding Māori mana motuhake (self-determination) of traditional rongoā Māori healing practices and the inequity faced by many kairongoā (rongoā Māori practitioners) and tohunga (healers) compared to mainstream health are a current issue within the New Zealand health system. As such, a cultural holistic approach for T2DM care among Māori would be advantageous. This review will outline the available evidence supporting the anti-diabetic efficacy of karamu, kūmarahou, and kawakawa. Currently though there is a lack of molecular research to understand the mechanisms of this efficacy, as such this review will also outline Te Reo Tipu Research, a kaupapa Māori framework for molecular and genomic research on taonga flora.

Introduction

T2DM is considered one of the fastest growing long-term health conditions in New Zealand. Diabetes has doubled in New Zealand from 125,000 to 250,000 over the past 10 years, where 90% (225,000) of these new diagnoses are T2DM ( Diabetes New Zealand, 2019). For every person diagnosed with T2DM there is usually a family member or caregiver who also "lives with diabetes" in a support role. This means that an estimated 450,000 New Zealanders are affected by T2DM every day, which is approximately 10% of the New Zealand's population. The estimated direct cost of T2DM in New Zealand has been forecasted to rise from $1,310 million in 2016/17 to $1,770 million in 2021/22 ( PricewaterhouseCoopers, 2008).

The prevalence of T2DM "mate huka" among Māori is three times more when compared to other New Zealanders. The age of onset is also significantly earlier in Māori. The New Zealand Ministry of Health also confirms that T2DM prevalence among Māori children under the age of 15 years old is also increasing.

Diabetes is a chronic disease where the body is unable to maintain normal glucose homeostasis. Insulin released from beta cells in the Islets of Langerhans of the pancreas in response to high blood glucose levels act on liver, muscle, and fat cells to stimulate the uptake of glucose to be stored as glycogen or metabolized via glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation.

The major metabolic defect of T2DM are; 1) insulin resistance where the sensitivity of insulin action in liver, muscle, and adipose tissue is impaired and 2) reduced ability of the pancreatic beta cells to produce enough insulin to compensate for insulin sensitivity loss.

Insulin resistance is a very complex process that can occur at different levels and paths of glucose transport ( Gutierrez-Rodelo et al., 2017). Insulin resistance is usually associated with the development of an inflammatory state and can occur as a result of insulin modulation, deactivation of the insulin receptor complex, defect in the signal transduction modulations. The latter can involve activation of JNK-1 protein kinase preventing insulin responsive substrate one (IRS-1) being activated and also a change in the glucose transporter protein. Insulin resistance usually precedes and contributes to the development of pancreatic beta cell malfunction and as such, the reversal of insulin resistance is important in T2DM prevention and treatment

Historically the prevalence of diabetes among Māori was low prior to pre-European settlement and the adaptation to a western style diet and lifestyles is thought to have contributed towards high rates of diabetes among Māori. A case study has indeed confirmed T2DM can be improved by lifestyle changes with Māori reverting to traditional food intake and physical activity ( Randell, 2010). Given this, culturally relevant approaches to T2DM prevention and care among Māori could prove beneficial, which highlights the importance of considering social determinants of health such as language, culture, history, and traditional knowledge, particularly mātauranga Māori relevant to rākau rongoā as a food and medicinal plant.

Current T2DM Drug Treatments in New Zealand

T2DM is a progressive condition caused by the body gradually producing less and less insulin over time and while there is no cure for it, it can be managed through physical activity and healthy eating. Despite these efforts many will come to need drugs or insulin to manage their diabetes. Apart from insulin, the New Zealand health system currently provides five main classes of anti-diabetic drugs for T2DM patients.

The first line of drugs used to treat T2DM in New Zealand is the biguanide metformin. Early studies indicated that biguanides improve glycemia by acting on the liver via AMP activated protein kinase (AMPK)-dependent activation and AMPK-independent mechanisms via mitochondrial respiration inhibition ( Foretz et al., 2019). Recent research has indicated that biguanides work in a much more complex way reflecting its multiple modes of action. Biguanides are also thought to act through mitochondrial glycerophosphate dehydrogenase inhibition, lysosomes and via the gastrointestinal microbiome. Furthermore, metformin is thought to target the gut ( Bailey et al., 1994; Bailey et al., 2008), by increasing anaerobic glucose metabolism in enterocytes, which leads to low glucose uptake and high lactate in the liver. More recently it has also been shown that metformin stimulated release of GDF15 from gut cells showing its beneficial effects on energy balance and body weight ( Coll et al., 2020). As such, the gut is now seen as a major target organ for metformin action, and that the liver may not be important for metformin action for those with T2DM as earlier thought ( Rena et al., 2017). However, overall the mode of action for biguanides are still not fully understood.

The next line of therapy in New Zealand are sulphonylureas that work by stimulating the pancreas to produce more insulin. Sulphonylureas bind to the sulphonylurea receptor (SUR)‐1 subunit of pancreatic β‐cell ATP‐sensitive potassium (K ATP) channels, which leads to their closure and resulting membrane depolarization, therefore opening the voltage‐dependent calcium channels, causing intracellular calcium concentrations to increase, with a subsequent release of insulin ( Douros et al., 2018). Sulphonylureas are marketed in New Zealand as gliclazide, glipizide, and glibenclamide.

Very recently, the DPP-4 inhibitor vildagliptin has become available in New Zealand for treating T2DM. This stops the normally rapid breakdown of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) that is released from the intestine after eating. Its primary function is to increase insulin release, and reduce glucagon release from beta and alpha islet cells in the pancreas respectively, after a meal. In combination, this leads to higher insulin levels and a lowering of blood glucose levels. However, the mechanisms of action of DPP-4 inhibitors are more complex than thought, and may involve the paracrine, endocrine, and neural pathways ( Andersen et al., 2018).

A less widely used class of drugs in New Zealand is the alpha-glucosidase inhibitor Acarbose. The mechanisms of action of acarbose involves competitive inhibition of the alpha-glucosidase found in the villi of the small intestine intestinal and thus blocking the enzymatic hydrolysis of oligosaccharides to monosaccharides such as glucose. Acarbose has a similar structure to oligosaccharides and a 10 ⁴ to 10 ⁵ times higher affinity for alpha-glucosidase. This means the alpha-glucosidase complexes are competitively inhibited and their availability to oligosaccharides from dietary starch is reduced. Thus, monosaccharide formation decreases and less insulin is required to metabolize glucose, leading to a reduction of food induced increases in blood glucose and insulin ( Moelands et al., 2018).

Another class of non-insulin drugs are thiazolidinediones (TZD) and one of these, Pioglitazone, is approved for use in New Zealand. TZD agonistically acts on peroxisome proliferator activated receptors (PPARs) in adipose tissue to enhance insulin action in muscle and liver tissue ( Moller, 2001). PPARs are ligand activated transcription factors (nuclear receptor family). Briefly, PPAR activation in adipose tissue leads to activation of adipocyte genes lipoprotein lipase and fatty-acid transporter 1, which lower triglyceride and free fatty acid (FFA) levels, respectively. TNF-α gene expression is also suppressed by PPAR activation. It is known that FFAs and TNF-α are potential mediators of insulin resistance, and also PPAR activation is thought to increase insulin sensitivity. Overall, TZD works by increasing the body's sensitivity to insulin by targeting the PPAR-gamma receptor, which alters the transcription of several genes involved in glucose and lipid metabolism.

Interestingly, two of these classes of drugs were originally derived from natural products. Metformin was discovered from natural products, whose parent compound guanide was originally purified from the plant French lilac Goat's Rue ( Koehn and Carter, 2005). Acarbose is a natural microbial product derived from cultures of Actinoplanes strain SE 50 ( Goeke et al., 1996).

Problem With Current T2DM Treatments

TZD and metformin are the two most common classes of drugs used for T2DM treatment worldwide. TZD however are associated with adverse side effects such as gastro-intestinal disturbance, long-term weight gain, fluid retention, and heart failure ( Verma et al., 2019). While metformin does not cause weight gain, it does cause gastrointestinal disturbances. Furthermore, it is not considered a complete therapy on its own, as it mostly acts in liver and not muscle tissue. In addition, there are increased risks of cardiovascular disease and kidney diseases associated with DPP-4 inhibitors ( Rosenstock et al., 2019). As such, there is a need to find new anti-diabetic agents that can improve insulin resistance, but unlike TZD or insulin, do not induce obesity or other side effects ( Feingold, 2000; Heo and Choi, 2019).

Another potential problem is that the use of current T2DM medications is guided by a generic stepwise rubric that does not take into account differences between individuals such as genetic variance. There is growing evidence that there are genetic factors unique to Māori patients that could impact on treatment strategies. A recent genome wide association study identified a variant in the CREBRF gene that is unique to Māori and Pasifika living in New Zealand and that is common in this population (25-30%) but absent in other populations in the world. Surprisingly, although this gene variant is associated with increased BMI, it is also linked to T2DM protection ( Krishnan et al., 2018). Together with anecdotal reports that Māori and Pacific respond worse to metformin, this raises the possibility of unique genetic factors regulating responses to medications in Māori and Pasifika. Given that Māori have been using rongoā for hundreds of years with good effect, it is possible there are gene variants or clusters of gene families common among Māori and Pasifika to enable them to process natural rākau rongoā more effectively, as opposed to synthetic drugs like metformin. As such, the need to understand the molecular models of action of anti-diabetic rākau rongoā would be of interest.

Natural Products as Important Source for Drug Discovery

Natural products as therapeutic medicines have a long history. Due to various adverse side effects of most conventional pharmaceutical drugs, there is a current return in interest of natural products to treat chronic diseases. It is estimated that approximately 25% of all current prescription drugs are plant derived. Furthermore, over the last 25 years of small molecule drug development, 5% were natural products, 27% were natural product derivatives, and 30% were synthetic drugs inspired by natural products ( Li et al., 2019; Wright, 2019).

Natural products sourced from plants with fiber and phytochemicals that influence glucose metabolism can be beneficial. Natural herbal supplements that stimulate insulin secretion or utilization, improve insulin binding to its receptor, and improve skeletal muscle function, can be useful in controlling T2DM ( Chang et al., 2013; Kooti et al., 2016). Plants are a rich source of phytochemicals that can protect from many chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, which usually target multiple cell signaling pathways ( Aggarwal and Shishodia, 2006). The anti-diabetic effect of many natural products from plants have been evaluated and confirmed, which suggest that herbal remedies could represent complementary and alternative treatments, and aid in providing new anti-diabetic agents ( Lee et al., 2006; Nistor Baldea et al., 2010).

Potential for Anti-Diabetic Rākau Rongoā (Māori Herbal Medicine)

Many species of indigenous flora have rongoā or medicinal properties that Māori have used for hundreds of years. Rākau rongoā is treasured by Māori as an integral part of Te Wao Nui a Tane (forest mythology), where many are highly prized for its rongoā or medicinal qualities ( Williams, 2001) in providing relief for many common ailments and conditions. The mātauranga developed by Māori of the rākau rongoā also holds significant importance. Given the uniqueness and diversity of New Zealand indigenous flora, it is likely that new anti-diabetic treatments will be discovered from these sources. The plant vegetation foods, seeds, roots, nuts, and fruits that formed the basis of traditional Māori diet and rongoā would seem worthwhile targets in a systematic search for anti-diabetic agents. It is also important to understand that Māori believe the beneficial effects of rākau rongoā are not due to the plant alone, but are more importantly due to other traditional influences such as faith in Te Atua God, personal mauri (connection) with Papatūānuku (mother earth), a good sense of oneself as Māori, and a good sense of whakapapa (family history). In Māori communities, natural health and traditional medicinal practices are increasingly widely supported ( Williams, 2001).

New Zealand indigenous flora has not been evaluated for their use in the treatment of T2DM. Very little information is available correlating rākau rongoā use and treatment of T2DM disorders. In an effort to determine rākau rongoā with known T2DM efficacy, both traditional and contemporary Māori literature of anti-diabetic rākau rongoā was reviewed. Furthermore, traditional first-hand knowledge sourced directly from kairongoā (rongoā Māori practitioners) were considered and matched with traditional literature. It is also interesting to note that many kairongoā also use rongoā blends or mixtures to help alleviate symptoms of T2DM. Many believe that each plant within the rongoā blend complements each other. Many believe rongoā is not only about plant bioactive compounds having certain medicinal effects on the human physiology, but rongoā is more about supporting and stimulating organs like the liver to heal itself, and for the individual to experience holistic healing at the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual level.

Early phytochemical studies ( Cambie, 1976) also confirm known constituents and the geographical distributions and habitats of known anti-diabetic rākau rongoā throughout Aotearoa New Zealand ( New Zealand Plant Conservation Network, 2012). Based on given mātauranga Māori, and earlier phytochemical and geographical studies, the following rākau rongoā have been shown to have anti-diabetic efficacy.

Karamu (Coprosma robusta Raoul)

Karamu ( Coprosma robusta Raoul) is a large endemic forest shrub with glossy leaves, white flowers, and small dark-orange-red fruit. It can be identified by black stipules and domatia under the leaves. Based on traditional reports, karamu is known to help with diabetes ( McGowan, 2018). Furthermore, karamu was taken for bladder inflammation, stomach aches and vomiting ( Smith, 1940), and kidney inflammation ( Adams, 1945; Williams, 1996; Moon, 2005). Interestingly, early phytochemical studies showed that karamu leaves contained asperuloside ( Herissey, 1933).

Karamu is found in both the North and South Island New Zealand ( Table 1). It is naturalized on the Chatham Islands within a small area between Waitangi and Owenga ( New Zealand Plant Conservation Network, 2012). It is common throughout coastal, lowland and lower shrub land montane habitats, and forest open sites.

Table 1 Anti-diabetic rākau rongoā with potential rongoā medicinal uses, other traditional uses and geographic location in New Zealand.

Kūmarahou (Pomaderris kumeraho A.Cunn.)

Kūmarahou ( Pomaderris kumeraho A.Cunn.) is an endemic shrub tree, which is identified by its bright yellow flowers in spring September. Traditional reports describe kūmarahou to have good effect for diabetes ( Landcare Research, 2020). Furthermore, kūmarahou was used for respiratory lung conditions such as colds, bronchitis, and asthma ( Brooker et al., 1981; Moon, 2005). It was commonly known as gum-diggers soap and used for soothing and healing sores, wounds, rashes, and skin irritations ( Smith, 1940; Brooker et al., 1981).

Early phytochemical studies showed that kūmarahou leaves contain quercetin, kaempferol, glycosides of quercetin and kaempferol, myricyl acetate, saponins, ellagic acid, certain O-methyl ethers of ellagic acid, leucocyanidin, and leucodelphinidin ( Cain and Cambie, 1959).

Kūmarahou only grows on the North Island of New Zealand ( Table 1). Kūmarahou grows naturally in the upper North Island from Te Paki, down to Kawhia harbour and Te Kuiti in the west and also the northern Bay of Plenty in the east ( New Zealand Plant Conservation Network, 2012). Kūmarahou grows within coastal to lowland, in open, early to mid-successional habitats. It is also often found on roadside banks, and in gumland vegetation. It is occasionally seen in forested areas, prefers full sunlight, nutrient poor soils, resents competition, and is prone to phytophora and verticillium wilt.

Kawakawa (Macropiper excelsum G.Forst. Miq.)

Kawakawa ( Macropiper excelsum G.Forst. Miq.) is a small tree with heart shaped leaves and green-yellow rod shaped berries that is endemic to New Zealand. Rongoā Māori practitioners are known to use kawakawa leaves within rongoā blends to help alleviate symptoms of T2DM ( Rawiri-Pukeroa, 2020) such as tiredness, skin infections, and bladder and kidney infections to name of few. Kawakawa is known as a universal rongoā where the leaves and bark were used to treat a range of health conditions. These include nerve pain, tooth infection, toothache, rheumatism, stomach pains, gonorrhea, cuts, wounds, bruises, abrasions, skin disorders, eczema, venereal disease, intestinal worms, boils, abdominal pains, purify blood, bladder complains, kidney troubles, and chest troubles ( Brooker et al., 1981; Williams, 1996; Moon, 2005).

Kawakawa is found in both the North and South Islands of New Zealand ( Table 1). Kawakawa is found common from Te Paki, all the way south to Okarito, North Canterbury, and Banks Peninsula ( New Zealand Plant Conservation Network, 2012). Kawakawa grows within coastal to lowland and is usually an important understory species in coastal forest. Kawakawa does best in semi-light, within a free draining but permanently moist soil. The plant is very shade tolerant and cold sensitive, and will not tolerate frost.

Potential Anti-Diabetic Molecular Modes of Action of Selected Flavonoids Known in Karamu, Kūmarahou, and Kawakawa

Asperuloside

Figure 1 Potential anti-diabetic molecular modes of action of selected flavonoids known in karamu, kūmarahou, and kawakawa in (A) liver and (B) muscle cell tissue associated with insulin resistance. The figure is original. Copyright permission was granted to use KEGG pathway and compounds ( Kanehisa and Goto, 2000).

Accumulating evidence suggests inflammatory processes are involved in the development of pre-diabetes. Asperuloside was also found to significantly downregulate tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), IL-6, NF-κβ, ERK, and JNK, both in vitro and in vivo ( Qiu et al., 2016; He et al., 2018), a number of pro-inflammatory cytokine markers known to inhibit insulin action ( Hotamisligil et al., 1993; Hotamisligil et al., 1994).

Quercetin

In terms of molecular modes of action, quercetin has been implicated to activate the synthesis and translocation of GLUT-4 glucose transporters and to activate AMPK pathways ( Eid et al., 2010). This study showed quercetin from berries to stimulate the AMP-activated protein kinase pathway and enhance basal blood glucose uptake in muscle cells through GLUT-4 translocation, a mechanism similar to metformin treatment for T2DM. Furthermore, animal studies showed that quercetin increased GLUT-4 levels in diabetic rats concluding that quercetin ameliorates hyperglycemia and oxidative stress, by blunting free radical induced toxicity in T2DM ( Alam et al., 2014). The anti-diabetic action of quercetin also involved reduction of lipid peroxidation, glucose absorption by GLUT-2, and the inhibition of PI3K in diabetic rats ( Coskun et al., 2005; Stewart et al., 2009). Quercetin has also showed to reduce glucokinase activity, hyperglycemia stimulating GLUT-4, hepatic gluconeogenesis, and increased glucose liver uptake ( Kobori et al., 2009).

Furthermore, quercetin inhibited activity of tyrosine kinase and the activation of NF-κβ pathway ( Dai et al., 2013b). In terms of pre-diabetes, a number of studies have reported the effects of quercetin on TNF-α activity, where quercetin showed to ameliorate TNF-α pro-inflammatory cytokine induced insulin resistance in skeletal muscle tissue ( Dai et al., 2013a). Quercetin treated normal rats also showed higher IL-6 and TNF-α levels compared to diabetic rats, implying that quercetin may play an effective role in regulating metabolism in diabetes ( Dokumacioglu et al., 2018). Finally, quercetin showed to suppress IL-6, NF-κβ, and PI3K/AKT levels in liver injured mice ( Zhu et al., 2017).

Kaempferol

Interestingly, in vivo studies also confirmed kaempferol ameliorates insulin resistance through inhibiting pro-inflammatory responses ( Luo et al., 2015), particularly by reducing NF-κβ, TNF-α, and IL-6 levels, and restoring insulin resistance by inhibiting phosphorylation of IRS-1. These studies provided evidence that kaempferol may be associated with the reduction of hepatic inflammatory lesions, which is contributing to the improvement of insulin signaling defects in diabetes. Furthermore, kaempferol was found to ameliorate myocardial injury in diabetic rats, by decreasing levels inflammatory markers like TNF-α, IL-6, and NF-κβ ( Suchal et al., 2017). Both quercetin and kaempferol from green cocoon of silkworm also showed to reduce blood levels and inhibit TNF-α levels in diabetic mice, along with increased levels of SOD and GSH-px, thus implying diabetic renal protection may occur by reduced oxidative stress mediated by inhibition of TNF-α ( Wang et al., 2019).

Saponins

Kūmarahou contains saponins that are associated to anti-diabetic potential ( Figure 1B) ( Elekofehinti, 2015; El Barky et al., 2017). Interestingly, total saponins from Stauntonia chinensis herb administered to diabetic mice revealed it had significant hypoglycemic effect, indicating it may be utilized for T2DM treatment ( Xu et al., 2018). Furthermore, a preliminary study on the mechanisms of total saponins from Entada phaseoloides against diabetes was also conducted ( Zheng et al., 2012b).

Interestingly, the effects of total saponins from various natural sources, showed to ameliorate diabetes through inhibiting pro-inflammatory responses showed by reduced TNF-α levels ( Liu et al., 2012; Zheng et al., 2012a; Yu et al., 2015). Furthermore, total saponins from Dioscorea nipponica, down regulated NF-κβ and up-regulate protein expression of IRS-1, GLUT-4, p-AKT, and p-AMPK; and decreased gene expression of TNF-α, IL-6, PEPCK, and G6Pase and GSK-3 in liver ( Yu et al., 2015), implicating the plant extracts potential for pre-diabetic and diabetes treatment.

Ellagic Acid

Kūmarahou contains ellagic acid that is also been shown to attenuate hyperglycemia potential ( Figure 1B). Studies of diabetic rats treated with ellagic acid revealed a decrease blood glucose levels confirming the anti-hyperglycemic potential of ellagic acid ( Farbood et al., 2019). Furthermore, ellagic acid found in Emblica officinalis was also implicated to anti-diabetic activity in pancreatic β-cells, in vitro and in vivo ( Fatima et al., 2017). Ellagic acid was also found to alleviate insulin resistance in diabetic female rats to understand its beneficial effects for the treatment of hepatic complications in T2DM ( Polce et al., 2018). This study further showed that ellagic acid treatment activated insulin signaling in the liver, by increasing levels of phosphorylated AKT.

Interestingly, early in vivo studies showed ellagic acid to significantly reduce serum levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, interleukins IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α ( Chao et al., 2010; Ahad et al., 2014). Ellagic acid also showed to decrease blood glucose and TNFα levels, and inhibit up-regulation of NF-κβ and IKK-β in a diabetic nephropathy mouse model, suggesting that ellagic acid ameliorates diabetic induced oxidative injury ( Zhou et al., 2019).

Leucocyanidin, Leucodelphinidin, and Derivatives

Kūmarahou contains leucocyanidin, leucodelphinidin, and derivatives, which are also linked to anti-diabetic activity. Interestingly, a leucocyanidin derivative from the bark of Ficus bengalensis demonstrated anti-diabetic action, in vivo ( Kumar and Augusti, 1989). Leucocyanidin was also putatively isolated from plantain banana and showed to possibly have anti-diabetic effect, in vivo ( Kumar et al., 2013). Earlier in vivo studies also showed a leucodelphinidin derivative isolated from the bark of Ficus bengalensis demonstrated hypoglycemic action both in normal and diabetic rats ( Geetha et al., 1994).

Isovitexin and Vitexin Glycosides

Kawakawa contains significant levels of isovitexin and vitexin glycosides that are associated to anti-diabetic potential ( Figures 1A, B). The administration of isovitexin and vitexin in diabetic rats reduced blood glucose and also showed to exhibit in vivo alpha-glucosidase inhibition ( Choo et al., 2012). Furthermore, extracts of Ficus deltoidea which contains enriched levels of isovitexin and vitexin, also inhibited hyperglycemia in diabetic rats, concluding that the herb can be used to alleviate diabetic complications ( Farsi et al., 2014). The Ficus deltoidea extracts down-regulated PEPCK and G6Pase expression, yet up-regulated GK and PPARγ gene expression in liver. Further, Ficus deltoidea extracts increased expression of GLUT-4 expression in muscle skeletal, leading to normalize hyperglycemia. The Isovitexin and vitexin in bamboo leaf extracts was also shown to inhibit α-amylase, by interacting with its active site through the glucoside linking with the 3'-hydroxyl group of the active site and retarding digestion of starch ( Yang et al., 2014). The study showed potential of the bamboo extracts as a starch-based additive to adjust postprandial hyperglycemia.

Isovitexin found in Gentiana lutea plant has also been implicated with endothelial inflammation in diabetic rats, where pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF-α production was blocked by isovitexin treatment ( Kesavan et al., 2016), showing possible aide in diabetic cardiomyopathy. As such, it is possible that isovitexin which is found in kawakawa leaf extracts at significant levels, may also inhibit TNF-α production in injured endothelial tissue related to diabetic cardiomyopathy. Lastly, Cynometra cauliflora leaves containing major compound vitexin were tested in high-fat diet mice, showing decreased serum levels of TNF-α and IL-6 ( Seyedan et al., 2019), and up-regulation of GLUT-4 and IRS-1 in white adipose tissue.

Challenge of Clinically Proven Rākau Rongoā

Many of the claimed efficacies of rākau rongoā with anti-diabetic properties are not based on robust scientific laboratory based testing and human clinical trials of a modern standard, and the mode of action is not known or scientifically proven. As such, the major challenge remains in the identification and validation of active anti-diabetic rākau rongoā extracts to support its efficacy for T2DM.

Furthermore, not only do Māori use rākau rongoā for treating diagnosed disease but many use it as a regular general tonic. In this context it has the potential to combat the metabolic impairments that are seen in the pre-diabetic state and so potentially delay the development of full T2DM. However, no pre-clinical or clinical research has yet been done on this aspect of rākau rongoā use.

Interestingly, the C-reactive protein or CRP, is a major acute protein considered for low grade systematic inflammation in chronic disease like cancer, cardiovascular ( Ridker, 2003) and T2DM ( Hu et al., 2004). Previous studies have reported associations of CRP with insulin resistance and pre-clinical T2DM ( Hotamisligil, 2010). As mentioned earlier, pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6 and TNF-α are implicated to promote insulin resistance by interfering with the insulin signaling pathway, leading to the pre-clinical manifestation of T2DM ( Gregor and Hotamisligil, 2011).

Mammalian cell culture systems modeling the major tissues involved in glucose metabolism (i.e. liver, muscle, fat, and the insulin producing pancreatic beta-cells) provide an important in vitro scientific model in which initial studies of rākau rongoā could be undertaken. These provide very important first line evidence of efficacy and mechanistic impacts.

The evaluation of in vivo efficacy is best tested in animal model systems as this enables testing of effects on the integrated physiological responses. Animal models include diet induced and genetic models of obesity of relevance to T2DM ( Al-awar et al., 2016) and the streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetic model used to study impacts on T1DM efficacy ( Gvazava et al., 2018). These are thought to be of more direct relevance to therapeutic outcomes for metabolic disease in humans. Therefore, animal models are regarded as pre-clinical research and are widely used in the search and validation of new treatments for metabolic disease.

Social Determinant of Indigenous Health: Language, Culture, Traditional Knowledge, and Identity - Mātauranga Māori - Heal The Land, Heal the People

For Māori, the indigenous peoples of New Zealand, there is an intrinsic connection between the health of the people and the health of their land ( McGowan, 2017). Māori developed mātauranga of their whenua over centuries, which was passed down from their ancestors who originated from Hawaiiki ( Smith, 1898). As such, mātauranga Māori is about connection to Papatūānuku or whenua land ( McGowan, 2017). Once those connections are broken, mātauranga Māori becomes less of a living knowledge. A disconnection of mātauranga Māori commonly occurs when it is taken out of context in which it originated. Mātauranga Māori is about places and people connected to those places. Mātauranga Māori is much more than traditional information, knowledge, facts, figures, and data used in proposals and strategies, with little thought of what it means to Māori, the people who developed that knowledge in the first instance ( McGowan, 2017). It is the Māori way of knowing and keeping knowledge alive, which is passed on to the next generation. Mātauranga Māori is a knowledge of the land from the people who belong to the land. It is the result of their interaction with the whenua over many generations. It is the knowledge they have accumulated by living on the land, working with the land, harvesting from the land, all the time listening, watching, and caring to ensure that they can continue to survive. Mātauranga Māori is not an artefact, but is a living knowledge that is being constantly enriched and extended in people's lives as the world continues to change. It is about survival and retaining those connections to the whenua by keeping alive the stories of the land. Mātauranga Māori is about the future, where it is founded on the past and focused on the survival for future generations ( McGowan, 2017).

Preserving mātauranga of the medicinal properties of rākau rongoā has proven to be a major challenge and concern among many Māori. Although much work has been done to safeguard mātauranga Māori, the issue still has not been adequately resolved. In an effort to resolve this issue, recent discussion among Māori scientists and researchers have raised the need for an Independent Mātauranga Māori Commission to be developed, to take the process off the New Zealand Crown and place it back into the hands of Māori ( Māngai, 2020).

Māori View to Animal Testing of Rākau Rongoā

Māori believe that all people, plants, and animals are descendants of Ranginui (father sky) and Papatūānuku (mother earth). Māori have been using rākau rongoā to treat and alleviate disease and health issues for hundreds of years, where some see no point to provide pre-clinical evidence in testing rongoā on animals because they know it works. However, these views represent the minority.

Many Māori support the use of animal testing to understand the effects of rongoā at the physiological and molecular level, if that knowledge is unknown. Many Māori support animal testing of rākau rongoā if the research is conducted under the guidance and protection of a Māori kaumatua (elder), kairongoā (rongoā Māori practitioner), and Māori kairangahau (researcher). As mentioned earlier, Māori have strong interests in kaitiakitanga and rangatiratanga, and support animal testing of rākau rongoā if it is preserved and governed under their guidance.

Māori view the intake of rongoā by animals as a very natural process, which can help guide laboratory research if conducted in a culturally humane and safe environment for the animal and rākau rongoā under investigation. Furthermore, it is important that a karakia (prayer) is given by a Māori kaumatua before the research commences and ends, including when the animal is euthanized humanely.

Rongoā Māori Mana Motuhake (Self-Determination for Traditional Māori Healing Practices)

In relation to rongoā, the Waitangi tribunal report Wai262 ( Waitangi Tribunal, 2011) found that mātauranga Māori of rākau rongoā is created by Māori. The report states that Māori believe that mātauranga Māori of rākau rongoā should not be exclusively owned, as it would be wrong to exclude others from experiencing the wealth and richness of Te Ao Māori. However, Māori object to individuals who seek to exploit that knowledge for commercial gain without proper acknowledgment of the prior rights to kaitiaki, given that the relevant mātauranga Māori will always be a creation of Māori.

The work conducted by kairongoā Māori practitioners in providing alternative health therapies, has too often been ignored due to the lack of scientific and clinical research to verify their practice. As such, their work is thought to have no value in terms of meeting present day health needs, and therefore warrants no support to enable healers to bring rākau rongoā to those they are able to help. This in turn contributes to loss of mātauranga Māori, which is the basis of rongoā Māori ( McGowan, 2017). A major objection raised by mainstream health providers, is the lack of scientific and clinical research to support the use of rākau rongoā, which therefore creates resistance towards the acceptance of rākau rongoā in the community.

The challenge lies to provide clinically proven anti-diabetic rongoā extracts to supports its efficacy for T2DM mate huka, under a kaupapa Māori framework and in the hands of kaupapa Māori researchers with biomedical and molecular experience who advocate the importance of rongoā Māori mana motuhake. The Wai 262 report ( Waitangi Tribunal, 2011) supports the emergence of mātauranga Māori from the domination of Pākehā knowledge system, to flourish once again in Māori hands.

The Wai 262 report also states that health is a key area, and the protection and enhancement of rongoā are prominent. The report seeks not to replace Western medicine, but rather to ensure the benefits of rongoā can be enjoyed as a complement ( Waitangi Tribunal, 2011).

As the gap between Māori and non-Māori with T2DM is significant, cultural approaches to T2DM care for Māori ought to be considered. Given that T2DM is most prevalent among Māori, clinically proven rākau rongoā with anti-diabetic potential could be utilized in the prevention of T2DM or management of T2DM and other related complications once they arise.

Further, there is a need for Māori to re-engage with their cultural roots that once guided them toward having good health and in strengthening the connection they have with their whenua land, their whakapapa family history and with themselves to restore balance in their journey of healing and good health.

Te Reo Tipu Research: Kaupapa Māori Molecular and Genomic Research of Taonga Flora

Based on traditional reports and knowledge, karamu, kūmarahou, and kawakawa each display anti-diabetic potential. Remarkably, no molecular or biomedical research has been conducted to confirm the anti-diabetic efficacy of these rākau rongoā and to understand the mechanisms by which these effects are achieved. Although early phytochemical studies confirm known constituents, research is yet to be performed to validate anti-diabetic agents of the given rākau rongoā. 2D cell culture and animal model systems provide ways to study the effectiveness of anti-diabetic agents sourced from rākau rongoā.

The preparation of rongoā from these should be performed following certain principles and Figure 2 illustrates a kaupapa Māori molecular research scheme to undertake pre-clinical and clinical studies to test efficacy of karamu, kūmarahou, and kawakawa rākau rongoā in T2DM "mate huka." Harvesting and aqueous extraction of rākau rongoā ought to be performed under the direction of a kairongoā or Māori kaumātua. In line with traditional Māori protocol, karakia is essential to acknowledge and thank the gift of Tane Mahuta prior to harvesting any rākau rongoā plant material. Harvesting rākau rongoā involves considering the needs of others, ensuring sustainability in the forest, being gentle with footprints in the forest, harvesting the eastside of the plant by hand, never harvest in the rain and to harvest leaves during growing season ( Kerridge, 2014).

Figure 2 Te Reo Tipu Research - Kaupapa Māori molecular research scheme to study clinically proven karamu, kūmarahou and kawakawa rākau rongoā used for T2DM 'mate huka'. This figure is original. The karamu, kūmarahou and kawakawa images were obtained from Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand, which is licensed by Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage for re-use under the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial 3.0 New Zealand Licence.

Human cell lines used in cell culture research are derived from individuals who have given consent for their cells to be used for research purposes, prior to passing. In line with tikanga Māori, it is believed that once these cells are handled by a researcher, both the researcher and laboratory space enter into a state of tapu or sacredness. Therefore, karakia ought to be offered by a Māori kaumātua before any cell culture screening is performed to ensure all personnel are kept safe and more importantly to acknowledge the deceased person who donated their cells for research purposes ( Figure 2). Pre-clinical animal testing of rākau rongoā ought to be conducted in an environment that is culturally sensitive and respectful to Māori and under the guidance of a kaumātua and kairongoā.

Participatory action research (PAR) approaches related to health programs has allowed partnerships between researchers and community members to reflect, collect data, and action aims to improve health and reduce health inequities through involving the people who, in turn, take actions to improve their own health. As such, PAR methods as shown in Figure 2 will allow effective partnerships between molecular researchers and relevant Māori community members such as kairongoā and kaumātua elders to reflect, collect data and action aims in an effort to improve T2DM "mate huka" within the Māori community. This review also suggests a framework that can be used by molecular researchers to employ kairongoā and kaumātua into their research programs.

In conclusion, kaupapa Māori molecular cell research on anti-diabetic rākau rongoā has the potential to (1) provide the first phase of screening and testing anti-diabetic agents found in rākau rongoā with known anti-diabetic efficacy through 2D cell-culture assay approaches, and (2) give pre-clinical evidence for anti-diabetic properties of rākau rongoā plant extracts using animal model systems. It also has the potential to (3) identify new anti-diabetic agents from rākau rongoā, which may lead to clinically targeted outcomes, and (4) contribute towards the development of safe natural supplementary products that could be used in diabetes management plan of Māori and non-Māori with T2DM "mate huka," thus possibly impacting the provision of health services for all New Zealanders. Lastly, it has the potential to (5) develop a culturally relevant approach to T2DM "mate huka" care among Māori.

Author Contributions

JK conceptualized and wrote the article. PS significantly contributed to the design, drafting, and revision of the work for intellectual content.

Funding

This review was funded through the Health Research Council of New Zealand. HRC Ref ID 17/487. Research title Te Reo Tipu - a bittersweet quest for new anti-diabetic agents in rongoā rākau.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge Robert McGowan and R. Martinus for their contribution to this manuscript.

References

Diabetes New Zealand (2019). Diabetes New Zealand (Wellington, New Zealand: Diabetes New Zealand Charitable Trust). Available: www.diabetes.org.nz [Accessed].
Google Scholar
Glossary of Māori Terms

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Potential of Anti-Diabetic Rākau Rongoā (Māori Herbal Medicine) to Treat Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) Mate Huka: A Review

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
T2DM (type 2 diabetes mellitus, or Māori term "mate huka") is a major long-term health issue in New Zealand particularly among the Māori community. Non-insulin drugs commonly used in New Zealand for the treatment of T2DM have limits to their efficacy as well as side effects, which are of concern for diabetics.