Our Hui ā-Tau 2025 has come and gone, but the wairua and impact of Te Ahi Kaiata - The Flame That Consumes the Morning continues to burn brightly.
This year’s theme honoured the diverse ways Ngāi Māori hold and tend the fires of mātauranga, hauora, and connection whether as ahi kā, ahi teretere, or ahi mātao. It reminded us that every flame, no matter where it burns, has a place in shaping the future of hauora Māori.
Toi Tangata wanted to bring a sense that this wasn't just another hui, and as our Kaiwhakahaere Matua, Darrio Penetito-Hemara reminded us at the beginning, Toi Tangata Hui ā-Tau is a space where whakawhanaungatanga and mātauranga combine to mobilise Māori-led solutions that shape a healthier, more empowered future for our people. These kupu set the tone, aligning to our theme Te Ahi Kai Ata. This hui was about igniting ancestral knowledge into lived practice: giving form to the formless, transforming wisdom into action.
Over the three days, 107 of us distributed ourselves among 13 workshops Kai Māori Kai Ora, Toi Tākaro, Kori and Toi Rangahau, each one weaving mātauranga Māori with bold and innovative thinking. The Kai Māori Kai Ora workshops explored kai sovereignty, reconnecting with traditional practices such as mahinga tuna and the importance of kōrero tuku iho in food systems. A highlighted workshop was learning about hīnaki and how to catch tuna, as well as the language around the process. Not just a traditional practice but also innovative when framed alongside a lens of approaches to food systems and environmental care.
Toi Tākaro lit up the Hui with energy as aro tākaro were strategically placed all over the place that included Taniko, Whare tukutuku, Pōtaka, Pātiki and so much more. Katakata echoed through the workshops, reminding us of the power of play. Wiremu Sarich captured it perfectly, "If you have 100 games, you have 100 chances.....but I have way more in my head than that."
Our kori workshops reminded us that movement doesn't always require flash expensive gears, but rather utilising what we have in our taiao. Noni Shedlock from the Heart Foundation showed this perfectly with her kaupapa, Energize, showing how tamariki can fall in love with kori through fun, creativity, and minimal resources. Our maunga, ngāhere, and awa are part of us, part of our whakapapa and are so full of potential for kori, tākaro, and overall wellbeing.
Toi Rangahau grounded us in the powerful role mātauranga Māori plays in health and research. Meretini Bennett-Huxtable's workshop brought maramataka to life, not only as a theory but as a practical tool to support wellbeing. "Our knowledge is practical," she reminded us, as we shaped uku into kōauau. Through her kōrero we explored the connections between ourselves, the taiao and one another. Toi Rangahau gave us moments to reflect, create, and embody the ways research can be lived, not just learned.
Our five keynote speakers anchored our hui with kōrero tuku iho and sharing their lived experiences. Their kōrero reminded us that innovation is not always new; it can be something old, remembered, reframed, and reawakened. Te Wehi Wright's kōrero on Te Aho Matua, the framework he was raised up on reminded us that mātauranga is to be indigenous from conception, following values of whakapono, whakamātau, whakatinana, whakawhānui, and whakaū. Many participants also resonated with kōrero from Hinerapa Rupuha as she explained Māhutonga and her journey becoming a navigator; "Don't believe what you think, believe what you see."
It wasn't just about content, it was about connections. Whānau left feeling inspired and connected, many describing a renewed sense of purpose in their mahi and personal journeys. Relationships were deepened, seeds of collaboration planted, and a collective fire rekindled. As Matiu from Tū Matau Ora summed it up beautifully, "networking and connecting with people has been massive, being immersed in our culture... there's so much experience and knowledge here and that has been massive too."
Though the three days passed quickly, the kaupapa lives on. Each of us now carries a spark lit in Waiwhetū, shaped by kōrero, strengthened by whakapapa and held with intention. Our challenge now is to keep it burning, to share what we’ve learned, challenge old systems, and create spaces for our people to thrive in.
Kei ngā manu pīkoko i tau mai ai ki tā tātou Hui ā-Tau, tēnā koutou. Nā koutou katoa i rangatira ai tēnei kaupapa, kaikōrero mai, kaimātaki mai, nō reira e mihi atu nei te whānau o Toi Tangata ki a koutou katoa.
We extend our heartfelt mihi to the haukāinga of Waiwhetū and Te Ātiawa for their warmth and manaakitanga as they hosted our kāhui, e mihi ana i tā koutou manaaki.
We also want to acknowledge our two sponsors, Spark Health and Tu Ora Compass Health, for their contributions and commitment to the kaupapa. Ka nui te mihi ki a koutou! Mauri ora!
