About Us

 

TŌ TĀTOU MANA WHAKATIPU – Our Mandate

 

Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu established He Oranga Pounamu in 2000 as a mana whenua based entity that would work, at an operational level, to ensure that the Crown fulfils it Article III obligations to not only Ngāi Tahu whānui but to all Māori residing within the Ngāi Tahu takiwā.

In keeping with the mandate and a model that expressed manaaki, He Oranga Pounamu was established as a separate legal entity from the Ngāi Tahu group in order to facilitate the desired delivery, in an integrated manner, of health and social services in the Ngāi Tahu takiwā from both manawhenua based and Matawaka providers. Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu maintains a controlling interest in the joint venture by appointing the majority of Trustees, and Chair, to the Board, many of whom have been TRONT representatives.

Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, as representative of tangata whenua, acknowledges that other Māori living in the takiwā of Ngāi Tahu are represented by a variety of groups. Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu will also endeavour to consult with and to take into account the views of those Māori groups who represent manuhiri within the Ngāi Tahu takiwā.

 

Ō TĀTOU WHĀINGA – Our Purpose

 

He Oranga Pounamu is a result based Māori development organisation catalysing Māori community action through community development approaches to enable whānau to exercise mana motuhake (self determining). The overall purpose of He Oranga Pounamu is to ensure that the health and social service needs of all Māori living in the Ngāi Tahu tribal area are responded to in an appropriate way by engaging with whānau, hapū, iwi.

Our whakapapa binds us and knowing what shapes us creates us. We are always looking to broaden our conceptual framework and are on guard against tauiwi narrowing our mahi.

Our culture is inclusive, humble, and we embrace being together through kai, waiata, kōrero, and karakia. We are proud of living, thinking, working, feeling and healing as Māori (our way) and celebrate our differing kawa when coming together and connecting through being respectful and welcoming. We celebrate our rich diversity of experience in te ao Māori and te ao whānui.

Our work is enabling Māori to achieve well-being; that is each whānau exercising their mana motuhake – what can be seen, what cannot be seen.

 

TŌ TĀTOU MOEMOEĀ – Our Vision

 

Kia hauora te Māori e noho ana i te takiwā o Ngāi Tahu  - Healthy Māori in the Ngāi Tahu rohe

 

TŌ TĀTOU WHAKATAUKĪ – Our Proverb

 

Whāia e koe ngā moemoeā, ki te tuohu koe he maunga teitei

In seeking our vision /dream look to the highest mountain - strive, prevail, look ahead don’t give up

 

TŌ TĀTOU KAUPAPA MATUA – Our Guiding Philosophy

The guiding philosophy of He Oranga Pounamu is:

 

MANAAKI

He Oranga Pounamu acknowledges Ngāi Tahu as manawhenua and works to manaaki Māori living in the Ngāi Tahu rohe.

 

TIROHAKA ki MUA

He Oranga Pounamu actively promotes innovative response and positive development opportunities for Māori.

 

KOTAHITAKA

He Oranga Pounamu actively partners with other organisations and agencies to improve the outcomes for Māori living in the Ngāi Tahu rohe.

 

KOUNGA

He Oranga Pounamu strives to achieve the highest standards in the services provided and supports excellence in the delivery of services to Māori.

 

Ā TĀTOU KŌRERO – Our Narrative

 

He Oranga Pounamu was established as a Charitable Trust in June 2000, under mandate from Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, following extensive consultation with Ngāi Tahu whānui, Māori communities and Māori health and social service providers. Currently led by a representative Board of nine trustees He Oranga Pounamu has consistently grown and developed into an organisation of high credibility and effectiveness. The trustees represent Ngāi Tahu, Māori service providers and matawaka. The management team and staff have successfully supported the development of Māori service provider organisations which now ensures that Māori living in the Ngāi Tahu rohe have access to a wide range of Māori services.

 

Since its inception He Oranga Pounamu has undertaken key whānau development projects to:

• Align He Oranga Pounamu activities with Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu’s direction
• Establish new services in previously under serviced communities
• Support greater community participation for both whānau and Māori service providers
• Work alongside government agencies and other stakeholders to maximise opportunities in response to Māori needs
• Secure new service contract opportunities for Māori service provider organisations
• Develop and provide capacity and capability training programmes for providers and rūnaka
• Conduct and support research projects on issues affecting Māori well being
• Build an information and knowledge base to better understand the needs of our Māori communities and whānau
• Communicate this knowledge to key government and other stakeholders
• Focus on increasing whānau income levels

 

Key Achievements

 

Since 2000, He Oranga Pounamu has grown substantially as an organisation and currently has

thirty Maori service affiliated providers. The affiliated provider organisations cover a wide range of services including health and disability services, training programmes, whanau development and social services.

 

Key achievements include:

 

• Established Maori service provider network
• Established new Maori service providers especially in areas where there were no providers or only a single provider
• Secured new service contract opportunities for Maori provider organisations
• Developed and provided capacity Training Programmes for providers and runaka
• Conducted and supported research projects that have led to new service contract opportunities