Inika Superfoods - May 15th, 2023

Rongoā Māori - The Traditional Healing System of Māori

You have probably heard about mānuka honey, but have you heard of kawakawa, koromiko, mamaku and harakeke? All of these are plants that have been used for centuries and throughout generations in Rongoā Māori - the traditional healing system of Māori. Māori are the indigenous Polynesian people of mainland New Zealand (Aotearoa).

Herbal remedies are the heart of Rongoā Māori. The practitioners of Rongoā Māori are called Tohunga, and the wisdom and knowledge is traditionally passed on orally. In early Māori history, Tohunga were seen as the earthly medium of the controlling spirits and influenced all aspects of life. In Rongoā Māori illness is viewed as a symptom of disharmony of nature - much like Traditional Chinese Medicine and other ancient healing practices. Therefore Tohunga would always determine the root cause of the imbalance before treating the illness both spiritually and mentally.

While Rongoā Māori is being used throughout Aotearoa New Zealand today, the Tohunga Suppression Act 1907 and the Quackery Prevention Act 1908 pushed the practice Rongoā Māori underground. The Acts were passed because pākehā (white people/Europeans)preferred conventional western medicine and believed that Tohunga were “quack” doctors.For many years this meant that Rongoā Māori was only discussed and practised within Māori communities.

Despite the Acts, Rongoā Māori and the training of Tohunga survived and in 1962, the Tohunga Suppression Act was finally repealed, and in the past few decades Rongoā Māorihas begun to flourish again.

The practice of Rongoā Māori

Māori view health in a holistic way, and they incorporate spiritual, physical, psychological and family aspects. As mentioned earlier, treatment includes herbs and plants from native Aotearoa flora (Rongoā rākau), however, a myriad of other healing practices are included such as:

● Karakia (prayer)
● Mirimiri (massage)
● The mana (power) of the TohungaIn

Rongoā Māori, ailments are always treated in a holistic manner - not unlike what is seen in many other ancient healing practices, including Ayurveda and Traditional ChineseMedicine. Traditionally, the knowledge of Rongoā Māori was considered tapu (sacred) and the knowledge was only passed on to a select few.

Plants from Rongoā Māori plants you can incorporate into yourlife

While the plants used in Rongoā Māori are native to Aotearoa New Zealand you can getvarious balms, ointments and similar worldwide that contain some of the plants that Māorihas used for centuries.

● Mānuka honey

You are without a doubt familiar with Mānuka honey. This may just be the most famous typeof honey in the world, but you may not know the history and the many uses of Mānukahoney. The Mānuka tree dates back to early Māori settlers in Aotearoa New Zealand, andthey used it for just about everything. The tree, which is native to Aotearoa New Zealand,blooms just 2-6 weeks every year, and it is used for much more than as a spread on yourmorning toast (although that is delicious).

Māori call Mānuka taonga (treasure) and they have used it for centuries for wellbeing andhealing. Among others Mānuka is used to treat burns, wounds and inflammation. It is alsogreat if you have a sore throat or a cough, and thanks to its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, mānuka is wonderful for your skin. For instance, it has beensuggested that Mānuka can help decrease the presence of blemishes and soothe acne-prone skin.

● Kawakawa

You can recognise kawakawa by its heart-shaped leaves. Kawakawa is often found in balmsand ointments, and it’s fantastic for wounds, cuts, boils, sunburns, dry skin, eczema, insectbites and much more. Internally, it is used to tone the kidneys and help with stomachproblems.

● Kūmarahou

This plant is often found in soaps and it is fantastic for gently cleansing your hands and bodywithout the use of harsh chemicals. It is nicknamed ‘gum-diggers’ and ‘bushmans’ soapbecause bushmen used the flower to clean the kauri gum off their skin in the 19th century.

We hope that this article has inspired you.

Love,
Inika Superfoods