Lalaga o le Vā: Weaving Culture, Connection, and Community into Mental Health and Education Systems
Tracks
Ballroom 1 - Virtual via OnAIR
| Tuesday, June 23, 2026 |
| 2:45 PM - 3:05 PM |
Overview
Libby Blore & Gemma Elbourne Orourke, Big Tings
Details
How the Vā i Moana framework guides practice and strengthens collective recovery by centring connection, balance, and relational healing.
Practical strategies for integrating culture, community, and collaboration into systems of care, weaving Indigenous, Pasifika, and clinical practices to create a model that works for our people.
How Indigenous leadership, lived experience, and village-based worldviews can unite the mental health, education, and community sectors. This shift moves us from working in isolation or competition to working together as one collective village, creating a brighter, more connected future for the next generation.
Presenter
Miss Libby Blore
Founder
Big Tings
Lalaga o le Vā: Weaving Culture, Connection, and Community into Mental Health and Education Systems
Biography
Libby Blore is a Samoan mental health nurse, therapist, and founder of Big Tings, a movement weaving culture, connection, and community into the heart of mental health. Through her kaupapa Lalaga o le Vā, she bridges health, education, and culture to create accessible, culturally grounded pathways for healing. Her work focuses on empowering rangatahi and whānau through storytelling, psychoeducation, and community-led approaches that honour Indigenous knowledge and collective wellbeing. Libby’s vision is to turn mental health from a dark ting into a Big Ting, where connection heals, culture leads, and community thrives together.
Gemma Elbourne Orourke
Lalaga o le Vā: Weaving Culture, Connection, and Community into Mental Health and Education Systems
Biography
Bio not provided
