Source: Ara Institute of Canterbury
180 delegates gather at Ara Institute of Canterbury for Hui ā Tau mō Ngā Ākonga Neehi Māori (National Māori Student Nurses Hui)
Ara Institute of Canterbury is proud to co-host this year’s Te Kaunihera o Ngā Neehi Māori Hui ā Tau mō Ngā Ākonga Neehi Māori, welcoming around 180 Māori nursing ākonga (students), kaiako (lecturers) and sector leaders together for four days of wānanga (discussions), connection and professional growth.
Ara Associate Director of Māori Success, Tate Tiatia, said hosting the hui was both a privilege and a return to the place where kawa whakaruruhau (cultural safety) began.
“This gathering returns to where Dr Irihapeti Ramsden first developed the foundations of cultural safety in nursing education. Her legacy continues to guide how we teach, how we care for people and how we support Māori ākonga into the profession. To host the hui back in Ōtautahi is deeply significant,” she said.
Te Rōpū Kawa Whakaruruhau chair, Irihapeti Bullmore, said the hui reinforced the importance of culturally grounded learning and practice.
“Our ākonga thrive when their identity and whakapapa (genealogy)are recognised as a source of strengths. This hui reflects that. It also reminds us that culturally safe healthcare is not optional. It is essential for whānau who rely on our health system,” she said.
This year’s hui (gathering) also coincides with the first intake of Ara’s refreshed Bachelor of Nursing (Puahou Tapuhi o Aotearoa). Developed at Ara and shaped by expertise from across the motu (country), the programme strengthens commitments to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and expands indigenised content. The curriculum will be implemented by other institutes, including Western Institute of Technology at Taranaki (WITT), from next year.
Dean of Faculty – Health, Science and Sustainability, Dr Michael Shone, said the new curriculum reflects a future-focused approach to Māori nursing education.
“This curriculum reflects the future of nursing in Aotearoa. Clinical capability matters, but so does understanding identity, whānau and culture. Our graduates need both,” he said.
The hui’s theme, Ka Rito te Tī, Sustaining Care from Within, is about grounding hauora (health) in identity and connection. Ara conference lead and kaiako, Jade Hancy, said the kaupapa (topic) focuses on strengthening who students are as Māori and supporting each other to stand strong in the profession.
“This hui creates space for renewal. It is a place where Māori nurses and ākonga can reconnect with purpose, with culture and with each other,” she said. “It’s also a chance to be visible and to encourage more Māori to join us in this profession. Our health system needs more Māori nurses because Māori are over represented in poor health outcomes. Change will not happen unless more of us are part of the workforce supporting our own communities.”
Ara second-year nursing student Josh Lang, who will MC the event, said last year’s hui in Taranaki had a lasting impact on him.
“It was inspiring. Being surrounded by mātauranga (knowledge) gave me a sense of belonging and showed me what Māori leadership in nursing looks like. To welcome everyone to Ara this year, to our place, is really exciting.”
Supported by the Ara Foundation, the hui features keynote speakers including Dr Suzanne Pitama and Tania Huria, workshops in hauora Māori, leadership development, taonga pūoro (Māori musical instruments, often used to support healing) and activities across Ara’s City and Manawa campuses.
Tate Tiatia said Ara was honoured to stand alongside Te Kaunihera o Ngā Neehi Māori and the organising komiti (committee).
“Our ākonga return from these hui invigorated and inspired,” she said. “They come back with stronger connections to each other, to their culture and to the profession they are entering. We’re proud to support a kaupapa that helps grow the next generation of Māori health leaders.”