Eke Tū: Insights from a Whānau-Centred Māori Approach to Long-Term Condition Management
Tracks
Kookaburra Room: In-Person & Virtual via OnAIR
| Monday, October 20, 2025 |
| 2:45 PM - 3:05 PM |
Overview
Dr Shirley Keown & Bernie Semau, Turanga Health
Presenter
Dr. Shirley Keown
Clinical and Research Coordinator
Turanga Health
Eke Tū: Insights from a Whānau-Centred Māori Approach to Long-Term Condition Management
Presentation Overview
For Māori in Aotearoa New Zealand, managing long-term health conditions (LTCs) is deeply relational and holistic — encompassing tinana (body), wairua (spirit), hinengaro (mind), whānau (family), and whenua (connection to land). While supported self-management (SSM) programmes can improve clinical outcomes, many are shaped by Western, individualistic models that overlook Indigenous realities and aspirations.
Te Hauora o Turanganui a Kiwa Ltd (Turanga Health), a Māori health provider based in Gisborne on the East Coast of New Zealand, is the kaupapa Māori lead of a national research initiative reframing SSM in Aotearoa. This collaboration includes the Tongan Health Society (serving Pacific communities) and the Donald Beasley Institute (focused on the disabled community).
As part of this research, we are evaluating Eke Tū, Turanga Health’s Kaupapa Māori (Māori values-based) lifestyle programme supporting whānau (families) living with LTCs. Grounded in the values of local iwi (tribes) — Rongowhakaata, Ngāi Tāmanuhiri, and Te Aitanga a Māhaki — Eke Tū integrates physical activity, nutrition, medication education, and collective learning through culturally anchored approaches.
Using wānanga (collaborative gatherings), we spoke with Eke Tū participants across rural and urban settings to explore what matters most to them and how they define success.
Preliminary findings show whānau value Eke Tū not only for health knowledge but for fostering whanaungatanga (deep connection), manaakitanga (care and hospitality), and tino rangatiratanga (self-determination). Participants described the programme as a healing space — where laughter, cultural reconnection, and shared experience are as important as clinical outcomes.
This project highlights the critical role of Indigenous-led, place-based health solutions and offers insights for designing and evaluating SSM programmes that genuinely honour Indigenous knowledge systems and aspirations.
Three Key Learnings:
1. The importance of Indigenous-led, place-based health programmes that reflect local iwi values and tikanga.
2. Māori concepts such as whanaungatanga, manaakitanga, and tino rangatiratanga are central to healing and wellbeing in supported self-management.
3. Why evaluation of Indigenous health programmes must centre Indigenous definitions of success, moving beyond clinical outcomes to include cultural, relational, and spiritual dimensions of wellbeing.
Te Hauora o Turanganui a Kiwa Ltd (Turanga Health), a Māori health provider based in Gisborne on the East Coast of New Zealand, is the kaupapa Māori lead of a national research initiative reframing SSM in Aotearoa. This collaboration includes the Tongan Health Society (serving Pacific communities) and the Donald Beasley Institute (focused on the disabled community).
As part of this research, we are evaluating Eke Tū, Turanga Health’s Kaupapa Māori (Māori values-based) lifestyle programme supporting whānau (families) living with LTCs. Grounded in the values of local iwi (tribes) — Rongowhakaata, Ngāi Tāmanuhiri, and Te Aitanga a Māhaki — Eke Tū integrates physical activity, nutrition, medication education, and collective learning through culturally anchored approaches.
Using wānanga (collaborative gatherings), we spoke with Eke Tū participants across rural and urban settings to explore what matters most to them and how they define success.
Preliminary findings show whānau value Eke Tū not only for health knowledge but for fostering whanaungatanga (deep connection), manaakitanga (care and hospitality), and tino rangatiratanga (self-determination). Participants described the programme as a healing space — where laughter, cultural reconnection, and shared experience are as important as clinical outcomes.
This project highlights the critical role of Indigenous-led, place-based health solutions and offers insights for designing and evaluating SSM programmes that genuinely honour Indigenous knowledge systems and aspirations.
Three Key Learnings:
1. The importance of Indigenous-led, place-based health programmes that reflect local iwi values and tikanga.
2. Māori concepts such as whanaungatanga, manaakitanga, and tino rangatiratanga are central to healing and wellbeing in supported self-management.
3. Why evaluation of Indigenous health programmes must centre Indigenous definitions of success, moving beyond clinical outcomes to include cultural, relational, and spiritual dimensions of wellbeing.
Biography
Shirley leads and coordinates the Turanga Health Research programmes in Tūranganui-a-kiwa/Gisborne. With decades of clinical and community experience as Turanga Health's clinical coordinator, Shirley is involved in numerous research projects in collaboration with universities and other organisations. She has also established and oversees a Kaupapa Māori Research team at Turanga Health.
Mr Bernie Semau
Population Health Co-ordinator
Turanga Health
Eke Tū: Insights from a Whānau-Centred Māori Approach to Long-Term Condition Management
Presentation Overview
For Māori in Aotearoa New Zealand, managing long-term health conditions (LTCs) is deeply relational and holistic — encompassing tinana (body), wairua (spirit), hinengaro (mind), whānau (family), and whenua (connection to land). While supported self-management (SSM) programmes can improve clinical outcomes, many are shaped by Western, individualistic models that overlook Indigenous realities and aspirations.
Te Hauora o Turanganui a Kiwa Ltd (Turanga Health), a Māori health provider based in Gisborne on the East Coast of New Zealand, is the kaupapa Māori lead of a national research initiative reframing SSM in Aotearoa. This collaboration includes the Tongan Health Society (serving Pacific communities) and the Donald Beasley Institute (focused on the disabled community).
As part of this research, we are evaluating Eke Tū, Turanga Health’s Kaupapa Māori (Māori values-based) lifestyle programme supporting whānau (families) living with LTCs. Grounded in the values of local iwi (tribes) — Rongowhakaata, Ngāi Tāmanuhiri, and Te Aitanga a Māhaki — Eke Tū integrates physical activity, nutrition, medication education, and collective learning through culturally anchored approaches.
Using wānanga (collaborative gatherings), we spoke with Eke Tū participants across rural and urban settings to explore what matters most to them and how they define success.
Preliminary findings show whānau value Eke Tū not only for health knowledge but for fostering whanaungatanga (deep connection), manaakitanga (care and hospitality), and tino rangatiratanga (self-determination). Participants described the programme as a healing space — where laughter, cultural reconnection, and shared experience are as important as clinical outcomes.
This project highlights the critical role of Indigenous-led, place-based health solutions and offers insights for designing and evaluating SSM programmes that genuinely honour Indigenous knowledge systems and aspirations.
Three Key Learnings:
1. The importance of Indigenous-led, place-based health programmes that reflect local iwi values and tikanga.
2. Māori concepts such as whanaungatanga, manaakitanga, and tino rangatiratanga are central to healing and wellbeing in supported self-management.
3. Why evaluation of Indigenous health programmes must centre Indigenous definitions of success, moving beyond clinical outcomes to include cultural, relational, and spiritual dimensions of wellbeing.
Te Hauora o Turanganui a Kiwa Ltd (Turanga Health), a Māori health provider based in Gisborne on the East Coast of New Zealand, is the kaupapa Māori lead of a national research initiative reframing SSM in Aotearoa. This collaboration includes the Tongan Health Society (serving Pacific communities) and the Donald Beasley Institute (focused on the disabled community).
As part of this research, we are evaluating Eke Tū, Turanga Health’s Kaupapa Māori (Māori values-based) lifestyle programme supporting whānau (families) living with LTCs. Grounded in the values of local iwi (tribes) — Rongowhakaata, Ngāi Tāmanuhiri, and Te Aitanga a Māhaki — Eke Tū integrates physical activity, nutrition, medication education, and collective learning through culturally anchored approaches.
Using wānanga (collaborative gatherings), we spoke with Eke Tū participants across rural and urban settings to explore what matters most to them and how they define success.
Preliminary findings show whānau value Eke Tū not only for health knowledge but for fostering whanaungatanga (deep connection), manaakitanga (care and hospitality), and tino rangatiratanga (self-determination). Participants described the programme as a healing space — where laughter, cultural reconnection, and shared experience are as important as clinical outcomes.
This project highlights the critical role of Indigenous-led, place-based health solutions and offers insights for designing and evaluating SSM programmes that genuinely honour Indigenous knowledge systems and aspirations.
Three Key Learnings:
1. The importance of Indigenous-led, place-based health programmes that reflect local iwi values and tikanga.
2. Māori concepts such as whanaungatanga, manaakitanga, and tino rangatiratanga are central to healing and wellbeing in supported self-management.
3. Why evaluation of Indigenous health programmes must centre Indigenous definitions of success, moving beyond clinical outcomes to include cultural, relational, and spiritual dimensions of wellbeing.
Biography
Bernie Semau – born and raised in Wainuiomata, Te Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington) and whakapapa to Samoa and England, he is the Population Health Co-ordinator at Te Hauora o Turanganui-a-Kiwa (Turanga Health). Having a background in exercise and health programmes, Bernie has served the community of Turanganui-a-Kiwa through Turanga Health for the last 9 years. During this time Bernie was a key figure in the planning and implementation of the Eke Tū programme, supporting whānau to manage long-term health conditions.
