This presentation explores Tū and Rongo as a kaupapa Māori framework for understanding and supporting Māori and Indigenous men’s wellbeing. Drawing on Māori cosmology, Tū represents strength, protection, action, and survival, while Rongo embodies peace, reflection, care, and relational balance. Rather than positioning these concepts as oppositional, the framework affirms wellbeing as the ongoing negotiation and integration of both states.
Grounded in kaupapa Māori research methods, the presentation centres the lived experiences and narratives of Māori men gathered through wānanga and focus groups. Participants articulate the pressures of hypermasculine and deficit-based constructions of Indigenous men, alongside a deep desire for balance, emotional expression, cultural grounding, and relational responsibility. Tū and Rongo is presented as both an analytical framework and a practical tool, enabling men to name, legitimise, and navigate strength and vulnerability within personal, whānau, and community contexts.
The presentation highlights how this kaupapa challenges dominant Western wellbeing models by reframing masculinity as relational, contextual, and culturally situated. It also demonstrates how Tū and Rongo has been mobilised in applied settings to support healing, leadership development, and community connection. Ultimately, this work contributes to international conversations on Indigenous wellbeing, decolonising health and social research, and the creation of culturally responsive models that honour Indigenous knowledges while supporting contemporary flourishing.