More Northlanders turning to rongoā Maori to heal ACC-related injuries

Rongoā Maori practitioner Jolie Davis, who hails from Ahipara, is passionate about using traditional techniques to heal others. Photo / Rawhitiroa Photography

Demand for traditional rongoā Maori treatments has grown in Northland following a trend of resurgence across the country.

Rongoā sessions incorporate karakia [prayer], mirimiri [body work] and rākau rongoā [natural herbal preparations] and have been offered as a rehabilitation service by ACC since June 2020.

As of August, ACC has partnered with more than 160 rongoā practitioners in New Zealand to deliver more than 49,000 sessions for 6400 clients.

In Northland, there are 20 registered rongoā practitioners who have delivered more than 3400 sessions to support around 410 clients.

The most common injuries rongoā is used to support are sprains and strains. Around one-third of people accessing rongoā care are survivors of sexual violence.

Jolie Davis (Ngāti Kuri, Te Rarawa), a practitioner from the Far North now based in Wellington, said her passion for rongoā Māori came from growing up in a community where it was part of her local environment.

“In my community in Ahipara, we had access to rongoā Māori not just for illness or injury, but as a part of maintaining our wellbeing.

“I grew up with the understanding that it was normal in terms of hauora [health] and healthcare.

“It wasn’t until I moved away from my tūrangawaewae [place of belonging] that I realised that it wasn’t normal to others.”

Davis, a trained clinical nurse, left Te Tai Tokerau around 15 years ago to pursue a career opportunity.

She expected to find a lot of rongoā Māori practitioners in Wellington and was surprised when she didn’t.

It led to her establishing her own practice, Manawa Ora Mirimiri and Workshops.

She is also a member of the ACC Rongoā Māori advisery panel.

ACC data shows rongoā Māori claims have more than doubled since the same time last year. There were almost 29,000 rongoā sessions delivered in the 12 months to August 2023.

Over the same period, the number of ACC-registered practitioners around Aotearoa has increased by 50 per cent.

Davis said rongoā Māori has a place in the mainstream health system alongside Western medicine.

And it is not just for Māori; non-Māori now account for 40 per cent of all ACC claims.

Davis said everyone should try the rongoā system “at least once” to see if it worked for them. The experience was different for everybody, she said.

“Alongside mainstream healthcare solutions, we’ve got to start providing something that’s more holistic.

“Something that’s also taking into account the patient’s emotional wellbeing, their relationships with whānau, their stress levels.

“Connecting patients back to these things that will keep them well, happy and whole.

“We welcome all people to come and access this healing.”

Jenny Ling is a news reporter and features writer for the Northern Advocate. She has a special interest in covering health, food, lifestyle, business and animal welfare issues.