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Whakarāpopoto Kōrero
He kaupapa rangahau Māori tēnei e whakaatu ana i
ngā whakaaro o ēnei wāhine Māori mō ngā momo hauora,
me te āhua i kite, i rongo ai ēnei wāhine Māori ki ngā
whakahaere hauora whānui, me tā te Māori whakahaere
hauora. Ko ngā wāhine Māori i uiuitia nō ngā tāone, nō
ngā kaupapa hauora rātonga marae, he mea ui rātau ki
roto i ngā momo hui e titiro ana i ngā momo hauora
whakahaere o mua, me ō rātau whakaaro mō ngā momo
hauora o nāianei. Tekau mā rua katoa ngā momo pātai i
whakaritea, e rua o aua pātai hāngai ki te taha hauora
manaaki mete whakahau hauora. Rua tekau ngā wāhine
Māori i tātaritia ā rātau kōrero mō tēnei rangahau. I
roto i ngā whakahautanga rangahau he tika kia āhei te
hunga i rangahautia ki te whakaputa i ō rātau ake
whakaaro, me te ako mai i ētahi atu mea; kia mārama ai
ngā kōrero, kia hāngai aua kōrero ki ngā āhurea Māori,
kia tautokotia rātau i roto i ā rātau kaupapa rapu hauora
mō rātau. Ko te take i kōrero ai te hunga i uia kia āhei
atu ki ngā kaupapa hauora e whakahaeretia ana i runga
i te marae nō te mea ko te taha utu, me te whiwhi waka
hei mau atu ki te wāhi hauora, me te noho tahi. Hāunga
ēnei whakahaere ko te āhua e pā ana ki te wāhine Māori
me ō rātau whānau kei roto tonu i te pōhara e noho ana.
Ki te kore e āta tirohia te whānuitanga o tēnei raruraru
ka uaua rawa mā ngā wāhine Māori ki te nanao atu ki
ngā momo hauora mā rātau me ō rātau whānau.

Abstract
A qualitative Kaupapa Māori research project
investigated how Māori talk about health, Māori health
and their experiences of interacting with both mainstream
and Māori providers of healthcare. Participants, recruited
from urban, marae-based healthcare services, were
involved in semi-structured interviews about Māori
health, western and traditional healthcare practices, and
their personal experiences of health care. Two of the
twelve themes arising out of participants' talk related to
health care and health promotion. In this paper these
themes are examined within the talk of the 20 Māori
women involved in the study. In the health promotion
theme participants discussed the need for Māori women
to be able to talk with and learn from others; to receive
information that is understandable and culturally relevant; and to be supported in their health care decisions. The reasons given by participants for Māori women accessing marae-based health services were both functional (cost, provision of transport) and cultural (whānaungatanga). While the kaupapa of the marae could encompass nonMāori health practitioners, the importance of Māori practitioners was stressed. Underlying these aspects, however, is the day-to-day reality of many Māori women and whānau who live in poverty. Unless this broader, societal issue is addressed a major barrier to Māori women accessing health and well-being for themselves and their whānau will remain.