Rongoā
Rongoā (or rongoā Māori) refers to the traditional medicinal practices developed among the Māori in New Zealand. It encompassed herbal medicine, physical therapies, and spiritual practices rooted in Māori traditions and passed down through generations. Rongoā was one of the Māori cultural practices targeted by the suppression in the early part of the 20th century. The use of rongoā has seen a recent revival, with its recognition and integration into public healthcare systems.
History
[edit]Rongoā traditional medicinal practices developed among the Māori based on their holistic understanding of hauora (health)..[1][2] It was traditionally taught orally by tohunga (experts) in whare wānanga.[3]
Rongoā was one of the Māori cultural practices targeted by the Tohunga Suppression Act 1907.[3][4] The ban was lifted by the Maori Welfare Act 1962.[5] In the later part of the 20th century there was renewed interest in Rongoā as part of a broader Māori renaissance.[6] The practice of Rongoā is only regulated by the Therapeutics Products Bill in the case of commercial or wholesale production and the Māori continue to use rongoā just as they have been for generations.[7] With its recognition and integration into public healthcare systems, including an official Rongoā Māori Action Plan by Health New Zealand, practitioners working alongside Western medicine in clinics and rehabilitation services have started adopting the same.[8][9]
Practice
[edit]Rongoā encompasses herbal medicine, physical therapies, and spiritual practices rooted in Māori traditions and passed down through generations.[8][10] It can involve spiritual, herbal and physical components.[11][12] Treatments may involve preparation of infusions, poultices, teas, and steam baths.[13] Herbal aspects used plants such as harakeke, horopito, kawakawa, rātā, koromiko, kōwhai, kūmarahou, mānuka, pukatea and rimu.[14][15] Mirimiri (light massage) and romiromi (deep tissue) were used to relieve musculoskeletal issues.[8] It is also connected to the rites performed to ancestors and the land to address the spiritual imbalance.[16]
References
[edit]- ^ "Rongoa medicinal use of plants". Te Ara NZ Encyclopaedia. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
- ^ "Holistic frameworks: wairua, tinana, whānau". NCEA Education NZ. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
- ^ a b "Rongoa". Canopy NZ. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
- ^ General Assembly of New Zealand (24 September 1907). "AN ACT to suppress Tohungas" (PDF). J Tohunga Suppression (13): 26–27.
- ^ General Assembly of New Zealand (14 December 1962). "Maori Welfare Act 1962" (PDF). pp. 892–914.
- ^ Molyneux V (7 May 2019). "Traditional Māori medicine Rongoā Māori making a comeback after being banned". Newshub. Archived from the original on 5 July 2019.
- ^ "Rongoā and the Therapeutic Products Act". Manatū Hauora - Ministry of Health. New Zealand Government. 14 June 2023.
- ^ a b c "Action Plan and integration into health services". Health New Zealand. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
- ^ "Common rongoā practices & plant use". Best Practice Advocacy Centre NZ. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
- ^ "Rongoa Māori". Science Learning Hub. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
- ^ Williams PM (1996). Te Rongoa Māori Medicine. Auckland, N.Z.: Reed. ISBN 978-0-14-301136-1.
- ^ Riley M, Enting B (1994). Māori Healing And Herbal. Paraparaumu, N.Z.: Viking Sevenseas. ISBN 978-0-85467-095-6.
- ^ "Plant remedies & protocols". Best Practice Advocacy Centre NZ. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
- ^ Ofsoske-Wyber F (2019). The Sacred Plant Medicine of Aotearoa. Auckland: Vanterra House Publishing. ISBN 978-0-473-49699-9.
- ^ Vennell, Robert (2019). The Meaning of Trees. Auckland: HarperCollins UK. pp. 22–55. ISBN 978-1-77554-130-1. LCCN 2019403535. OCLC 1088638115. OL 28714658M. Wikidata Q118646408.
- ^ "Spiritual dimension: karakia, whakapapa, mauri". Te Ipu Aronui. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
Further reading
[edit]- Cram F, Smith L, Johnstone W (March 2003). "Mapping the themes of Maori talk about health" (PDF). The New Zealand Medical Journal. 116 (1170): 1p following U353. PMID 12659099.
- Mark G, Chamberlain K, Boulton A (June 2017). "Acknowledging the Māori cultural values and beliefs embedded in rongoā Māori healing". International Journal of Indigenous Health. 12 (1): 75–92. doi:10.18357/ijih121201716902.
- Ahuriri-Driscoll A, Baker V, Hepi M, Hudson M, Mika C, Tiakiwai S (2008). The future of rongoa Maori: wellbeing and sustainability. Institute of Environmental Science and Research Ltd & The Ministry of Health.
- O'Connor T (2007). "New Zealand's biculturalism and the development of publicly funded rongoa (traditional Maori healing) services". Sites: A Journal of Social Anthropology and Cultural Studies. 4 (1): 70–94. doi:10.11157/sites-vol4iss1id28.