Rangahau Speaker Series 2025

This series gave kaimahi and guests a chance to share their Rangahau with the wider TWOA whānau. It was a space to present and wānanga their kaupapa and insights in a simple, open way.

Poetry Month

 

Dr Marama Salsano - What are Zines?

An introductory Zine Making video compiled by Dr Marama Salsano.

Tīahomarama Fairhall - Te Hā o te Reo

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An introductory Zine Making video compiled by Dr Marama Salsano.

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Womens Hauora Month

 

Dr Hannah Rapata - Wāhine Ora & Kai Ora

Join us for an engaging and interactive kōrero exploring the vital connection between kai and the wellbeing of wāhine. This workshop will delve into themes such as kai, rongoā, food sovereignty, and nutrition, highlighting how nourishing our bodies and minds through kai is central to nurturing whānau and community wellbeing. Through discussion we’ll celebrate the role of wāhine in reclaiming kai knowledge, revitalising mātauranga Maori and leading holistics approaches to hauora.

Heeni Morehu - The Tree of Life

A speaker and acclaimed author of Te Arawa (Ngāti Pikiao) and Tūhoe descent, Hēeni gained recognition for her keynote at the Turamarama Ki Te Ora World Indigenous Conference. Her story centres on the deep grief of losing two sons—one in a car accident and one to suicide—shared in her book The Tree of Life: My Journey with Grief. For over five years, she has dedicated herself to supporting whānau through voluntary work and as a founding member of Te Ariki Foundation, offering tools and guidance for healing and wellbeing.

Dr Joni Angeli-Gordon - Mauritau

Ancestral Solutions for Modern Wellbeing - Grounded in mātauranga Māori, this workshop explores mauritau as a pathway to wellbeing for wāhine—drawing on practices like karakia, waiata, and connection to whenua. Blending lived experience and rangahau, it offers practical, culturally grounded approaches for everyday balance.

Nadine Riwai - Survivorship, Screening, and Shaping

Nadine Riwai shares her journey in women’s hauora, drawing on nursing, advocacy, and lived experience as a survivor of domestic violence. Her work, including the Smear Your Mea campaign, informs her PhD exploring how cancer screening in Aotearoa can uphold mana, centre whānau, and reflect kaupapa Māori approaches.

Bro-vember Month

 

Rikki Soloman - Maramataka Māori

A respected mātanga of the maramataka Māori, Rikki weaves this mātauranga into his work as a funeral director. A graduate of He Waka Hiringa: Masters in Applied Indigenous Knowledge, he champions Māori-centred approaches to wellbeing.

Tūtakangahau Williams - Tū and Rongo

Tū (Tūhoe, Ngāti Whakaue, Ngāti Hauiti) shares insights from his Te Manawahoukura residency, exploring Te Mana Tāne and Māori masculinity. Joined by Russell Packer, who reflects on his life journey, including his NRL career.

 

Eugene Temara - A Guitar Kaupapa

A kaupapa using music and kapa haka to create space for tāne and rangatahi Māori to explore their creativity. Toi Pūmanawa, led by Eugene Temara, builds capability across Te Arawa and the motu—growing the next generation of guitarists and composers grounded in culture, and confident to take their talent to the world.

Te Ururoa Flavell - A Journey through Prostate Cancer

In 2023, a life-changing diagnosis of Stage 4 prostate cancer shifted everything—from celebration to uncertainty. Over two years, many lessons were learned. Cancer affects whānau, relationships, and both tāne and wāhine, so we must talk openly. Māori are impacted more severely, often due to late diagnosis—let’s come together and have that kōrero.