This Waitangi day we remember our Whaea of Whānau Ora, Tariana Turia, who stood in her many leadership roles as a mokopuna, a mother, grandmother, and universal aunty of Aotearoa – embodying what it is to be a real one in the sometimes illusory world of politics. Proving that the decision making table actually is a place for grandmothers, activists, and community champions to pull up a seat and initiate real, challenging conversations – to ensure we imagine futures as bright and beautiful as our babies' faces.
With this in mind, Turia nurtured Whānau Ora as a philosophy, a model of practice, an outcome goal, a mechanism for funding providers and a foundation for future generations. Finding form in the promise of Te Tiriti and Tino Rangatiratanga. Ensuring our Māori worldview, history, way of life, will not be dissolved into a one size fits all standard. Her view was unwavering in that the one-size-fits-all approach doesn't actually work for anyone, Māori or not, “taking into account the differences in the way people view things.” Because we all stand on our own two feet with mana motuhake, as part of a lineage and collective.
Raised at Pūtiki by her grandmothers, whāngai parents and many strong aunties – Turia knew firsthand what it was to truly belong as a mokopuna of the collective. She married George Turia at Rātana Pā and they had four children and two whāngai, as well as many grandchildren and great grandchildren. The essence of her work and achievements is that solutions are found at the source.
Her straight-up approach was always bringing us back to the heart of the issue: change starts in the home, where we learn to be with each other and develop solid relationships. From there we look at: How our babies are being educated – how to create an environment for them to thrive in their learning journey. What kinds of healthcare is needed to keep our babies healthy and happy. How can we cultivate communities ready to greet the next generation and carry them to their potential as connected and engaged whānau members. Because it’s about self determination for and by those who know deeply, and have real experience of, the systems that we strive to constantly improve and innovate through the Whānau Ora movement.
"Self-governance, as being the choice of self-determination, for me means the right to participate in and control the processes through which decisions that affect our lives are made."
“My concern was always about how we could make sure Whānau Ora was driven by whānau first and foremost – not by governments, ministers, political parties, departments, providers, commissioning agencies – but whānau. This was not Provider Ora: we wanted whānau to be in the driving seat, charting their own road map to a prosperous tomorrow.”
Turia trained as a nurse, like so many of our wāhine Māori, naturally flourishing in the manaakitanga inherent in the role. Her activist spirit shone through as a leader of the 79 day iwi occupation at Pākaitore (AKA Moutoa Gardens) this established a solutions-focused conversation between iwi and government to restore the mana of the Whanganui river to the hapū and resulting in the Awa being granted legal personhood status as an ancestor – sparking a global environmental movement to protect rivers and lakes as living beings. An example on the world stage of the healing that happens when our people reconnect with their ancestral taonga, and are in charge of protecting them from corporate greed for all to enjoy and connect with.
In 1996 she became a list MP for the Labour Party. As a politician she was steadfast, standing strong in her beliefs, no matter what. This was exemplified when she broke away from the Labour party in 2004 because of her fierce opposition to the spirit of the Foreshore and Seabed Act. She returned triumphantly as the leader of newly formed Te Pāti Māori, bringing back the hearty and staunch energy she was known for, when swearing her oath of allegiance in parliament, Turia swore allegiance to the Treaty of Waitangi rather than the Queen. To a resounding ‘doitz’ from whānau Māori all over the nation.
In parliament she spoke with conviction from the lived experience of seeing and being able to articulate the full picture of the context of colonisation that we are operating from as whānau Māori. This kind of advocacy was the beginnings of Whānau Ora coming into its own and now continues to lead us towards real, lasting change as a nation. Uniting kaupapa Māori service providers all over the country on the same mission set out by Turia – empowering whānau to achieve their aspirations, whatever that may look like for them. Questioning – who were these systems designed by and for? Because if we want our children to grow up being Māori we need to design education, health and social infrastructure to support that – lest our babies grow up trying to fit into a mold that wasn’t made for them to be who they are.
She mastered the artform of translating Māori worldview and values into these pākehā spaces for the benefit of all. Showing the world – this matauranga, these knowledge systems, are gifts that we share to benefit all, no matter where you come from.
This innovative way of thinking and investing in whānau has drawn global interest. As leaders all over the world begin to shift in their understanding of what economic wellbeing is, and how thriving Whānau actually saves money in the long run across health, justice, social and education. As a government policy, it’s a step towards healing the wound created by the violence of colonisation.
“To achieve Whānau Ora, the health system will work in a way that acknowledges the aspirations and the central role that whānau play for many Māori, as a principal source of strength, support, security and identity.”
Here we are 15 years later, with a generation of tamariki who have been brought up alongside the Whānau Ora movement which has developed into a way of thinking and reconnecting networks of support that colonisation had left in fragments. We saw the power of this connected network in the Covid19 response where our collective were able to mobilise and reach whānau all over the nation and bring manaakitanga and hope to whānau who would otherwise have been struggling and isolated.
We are so proud to be here, in the wake of the dazzling pathway carved out by Tariana Turia throughout her career and to be able to continue the work cloaked in the korowai of her leadership. Her memory will be shaped by the daring and uncompromising commitment to life-saving and life-changing initiatives that build bright futures for the mokopuna of Aotearoa.
“The capacity, capability and independence of our whānau is a vital foundation for our future.”
