MŌ TE WAKAHUIA O HINE ABOUT US

- Established in 2020, Te Wakahuia o Hine is a national charitable organisation. Te Wakahuia o Hine is committed to Te Tiriti o Waitangi (Te Tiriti) as the founding document of Aotearoa New Zealand (Aotearoa), and therefore privileges the equal relationship between Tangata Whenua (Māori as the indigenous People of the Land) and Tangata Tiriti (Tauiwi as People of the Treaty) and the guarantees of Te Tiriti for all.
- Te Wakahuia o Hine is principally concerned with the wellbeing of Tangata Whenua - midwives and student midwives, whānau accessing midwifery and maternity services, and the integrity and quality of those services that achieve the intent of Te Tiriti to serve all citizens equally. The charitable objects of Te Wakahuia o Hine are to ensure a Tiriti o Waitangi focus on the areas of:
- Midwifery and maternity strategies.
- Investments.
- Policies.
- Education and research.
- Activities that advance holistic health and wellbeing of Tangata Whenua and thereby benefit the community.
Te Wakahuia o Hine use a Te Tiriti informed rubric to evaluate the quality of the above focus areas against Te Tiriti obligations and uphold the purpose of Te Wakahuia o Hine.
OUR NAME AND LOGO
Gifted by the inaugural Te Wakahuia o Hine Governance Board and Members, the name Te Wakahuia o Hine refers to a repository of taonga, being mokopuna who are kaitiaki of past, present, and future whakapapa, that is presided over by wāhine atua.
The tohu for Te Wakahuia o Hine was crafted by Māori graphic designer, Emma Bevege. Members of Te Wakahuia o Hine provided Emma with a creative brief which was followed by an iterative consultation and design process that culminated in the creation of the tohu. The waka symbolises both the wakahuia as a repository for taonga and the waka as a journey of development. The feminine and masculine energies represent the balanced contribution of te wai o te ira wāhine and te wai o te ira tāne in reproduction and sustainability of whakapapa. The hapūtanga reflects te whare tangata and ngā taonga tuku iho. The triad of mangōpare in te taurapa o te waka embody strength, leadership, agility, tenacity, unrelenting determination, courage, and wealth; and signify the protection of whānau around mokopuna as a vital component to orangatonutanga o ngā taonga tuku iho.