Whakapiki Maramatanga

Last year RISE’s Staff and Board came together to define and guide the organisation’s cultural development. It was the start of an ongoing programme of work to increase understanding of Te Ao Māori in daily work life.

At the first hui, the staff discussed safety and confidence as two key themes in their own development, themes present in all of RISE’s work. It was important to staff that all activities they undertake would give them confidence in any Te Ao Māori context and also be relevant to delivering RISE’s services.

First, the team came up with uara (values) for RISE that have been also adopted by the Board. These uara guide all activities for the organisation and inspire personal professional development for each clinician. Each uara is paired with a whakatauki.

UARA	WHAKATAUKI
Humarie Reflective, Peaceful and Calm	He tangata humarie, I uruhitia e nga ahuatanga o tew a, kia pakanga Calm in the face of adversity
Tuturutanga Being geuine and authentic	Tangata ki tahi A person who speaks once
Whanaungatanga A sense of connection and belonging	Waiho I te toipoto, kaua I te toiroa Let us keep close together not wide apart
Pou Whirinaki To be reliable and trustworthy	Taku pou whirinaki I ng awa o te porotaika My source of strength in moments of adversity
Noho Puku To reflect and restore balance	Tikapea te pura o to kanohi Free your mind

Next, all agreed that regular use of Te Reo Māori will help clinicians in their mahi and will support RISE’s ongoing journey. Building confidence in the use of Te Reo in one’s work and in a larger forum of colleagues will enhance each clinician’s personal and professional experience. All clinicians have a mihimihi, RISE uses karakia (Kia tau te Rangimarie mo nga iwi katoa) and has a waiata tautoko. As a group we always acknowledge manawhenua and use names of the iwi of Te Tau Ihu, the geographic area we serve.

RISE’s journey as an organisation and as a team will continue throughout 2023. While RISE is not a kaupapa Māori organisation, these efforts express to clients and the public how we feel about our work and Tangata Whaiora (people seeking wellbeing). Everyone at RISE from the Board to the staff are committed to this mahi.