Meihana Durie: Taia te Kawa

Meihana Durie (Rangitane, Ngati Kauwhata, Ngati Porou, Ngai Tahu and Rongo Whakaata) has a career background in secondary and tertiary Māori education and is currently Academic Director of Te Reo Studies at Te Wananga-o-Raukawa in Otaki.

Meihana is presently completing Doctoral Studies at Massey University in which his thesis, Taia te Kawa, examines the potential for new Māori cultural protocols to be constructed in order to provide culturally relevant guidelines for sustainable healthy lifestyles. The outcomes of this thesis will assist an initiative to engage all staff and students of Te Wananga-o-Raukawa in customised health and fitness programmes by 2010.

His presentation draws on the conference theme of 'Ngahuru' and discusses this concept in relation to the proposition that Māori cultural values can be used as a basis for Māori health advancement. Fundamental Māori cultural concepts are also discussed within the broader contexts of health advancement and contemporary Māori realities.