Crooked earth - There is no Māori health without a healthy planet.

The planet is broken because humanity is waging war on nature, which is a suicidal act, but Indigenous knowledge systems (including Matauranga Māori), can offer solutions, according to the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres.

This webishop examines how Māori should focus on their wellbeing first, while they can also contribute to the wellbeing of humanity because they are citizens of an interdependent, globalised world.

It also explores and discusses the impact of planetary health on Māori, and what indigenous and local knowledge and practices that Māori health promoters and other health workers can apply to resolve these challenges at the local and global levels.

About the speakers:

Huti Watson is a Ngāti Porou/Tainui woman from Tairāwhiti and Hauraki. Proficient in Te Reo Māori, Huti believes that Māori principles, values and epistemologies are as relevant and important today for Māori as they were in pre-colonial times.

Huti has a public health education background with a focus on health promotion, and a broad range of knowledge and skills across health, research and economic development. Huti holds tribal governance roles in the health, apiculture and farming industries, and is an advocate for Māori participation and self-determination in genetic research across those activities. Currently, she is working in a new role as Chair for establishing a national group to develop mechanisms for implementing Māori governance over Māori genomic data, tentatively named; Te Kāhui Māori Genomic Governance Forum. Huti is also a member of the Global Working Group on “Waiora: Planetary Health and Human Wellbeing” under the auspices of the International Union for Health Promotion and Education (IUHPE).

Sione Tu’itahi is the Executive Director of the Health Promotion Forum of New Zealand Runanga Whakapiki Ake I Te Hauora o Aotearoa (HPF). An educator, author and health promotion professional, his areas of interest in health promotion include planetary health, determinants of health, human rights, community development, public policy, and workforce development.

He is the Vice President for Communication of the Global Executive Board of the International Union for Health Promotion and Education (IUHPE), 2019-2022 and is also the Chair of the IUHPE Global Working Group on Waiora Planetary Health and Human Wellbeing.