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TE MAHAU
This year, the Te Mahau Rōpū (group), launched ‘Te Mahau’, a set of Te Ao Māori resources for the workplace. Staff sessions were held to introduce the Te Mahau Rōpū’s purpose, showcase the Te Mahau booklet, SharePoint learning platform, and recite the Te Omanga Hospice Pepeha. These sessions provided staff with a valuable opportunity to revisit the tikanga Māori already in place at the Hospice and discuss our shared responsibility to support positive outcomes for Māori patients and their whānau.
In March 2024, Erena, a member of the rōpū, presented a poster at the Palliative Care Nurses NZ Conference. Her poster highlighted Te Mahau, detailing the development of
the Te Omanga Hospice genealogy and Pepeha to help staff understand the whenua they are connecting to and the history of the Hospice. The poster remains on display at the Hospice, offering an ongoing opportunity for colleagues to engage in conversations about this work and explore ways to further embed these initiatives.
Te Mahau Rōpū continues to align its efforts with the
guidelines from Mauri Mate: A Māori Palliative Care framework developed by Hospice New Zealand. The Rōpū supported
the establishment of the Consumer Advisory Group and the development of a Cultural Rōpū through a co-design phase. We are now at the recruitment phase for additional Kaiawhina and Kaiwhakahaere roles at the Hospice.
Additionally, two members of the Te Mahau Rōpū are part of the Te Mauri / Cancer Support Rōpū, run by Kōkiri Marae. In September, Māori health providers and mana whenua partners attended the Te Mahau launch as part of the Hospice’s 44-year anniversary celebrations. We appreciate the support and guidance of our external partners in the co-design of our Cultural Rōpū.
Te Mahau Rōpū has empowered staff members to confidently use karakia and waiata in various settings. Members of the rōpū have expressed their delight in seeing staff take the initiative, seek guidance or support, and introduce new waiata to our organisation.
Moving forward, the rōpū will continue brainstorming ways to implement the remaining sections of the Mauri Mate: A Māori Palliative Care framework at Te Omanga Hospice, particularly in clinical practice and supporting Kaimahi (Māori staff).
A visitor who attended a day course at the Hospice late last year initially felt uncertain about participating in a caregiver’s palliative care course. However, upon hearing the Hospice Pepeha recited, she immediately felt at home.
The Te Mahau booklet contains a range of waiata and karakia that hospice staff can carry in their pocket as a valuable tool to connect with and care for Māori patients.
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